Falling In Love at Vampire Academy
by Bretagne
Summary: " I looked at her beautiful brown eyes and immediately I was hooked." Dimitri's POV of Vampire Academmy. Get into Dimitri's thoughts and feelings!
1. Chapter 1

**HELLO PEOPLE! As you know I am Bretagne and this is my first fanfic, i wanted to do it for Twilight but changed my mind. This story is Dimitri's pov of Vampire Academy. I know it's been done before but I think Imma do it really well. I hope u guys enjoy the stroy. thx for choosing mine to read! Anyway, imma leave u guys to read the story. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer- I don't own the characters and story line used. The wonderfull Richelle Mead does. Im just doing it in my own way**

* * *

**Chapter One**

I was crouched behind a tree, looking up at the window. The light had still not come on the house. Did we have the right address? I started to panic. I admit it when I was assigned this job at Vampire Academy I thought I would be doing a bit more than rescuing 2 teenage runaway girls. It's not that I'm not thankful or anything it's just that it wasn't what I thought I would be doing, you know?

Anyway we had tracked these 2 girls down, Rosemarie Hathaway & Vasilisa Dragomir. Rosemarie was a dhampir and Vasilisa was a Moroi. Vasilisa was very important because she was the last Dragomir, her parents and brother had died. I felt sorry for her, I have a couple sisters myself and I would be devastated if they died. However, this was no reason to run away. Rosemarie is supposed to be her guardian under Vasilisa's parent's request, but that girl has a file the size of Russia! According to her file she constantly gets in trouble, if it's not arguing with a teacher, it's skipping class. I'm surprised the Academy still keeps her around. She must be very good in her guardian training. Also, what kind of guardian, even a novice one, takes a Moroi, especially the last of their kind, outside protected school walls? I swear, this girl is gonna be in a heap of trouble when she gets Headmaster, Kirova- let's just say I wouldn't want to get on that woman's bad side. She looks like she could- All of a sudden a light flicks on from the house. The rest of the guardians and I tighten up and hide farther in the shadow of the trees, trying to see without being seen. With my dhampir hearing I hear 2 murmured voices, 2 girls. Could they be the girls we're looking for? I have a strong hunch in the pit of my stomach that they are. I take a couple steps forward making sure that the shadows of the trees are still obcuring me. With these steps I can now see clearly into the window.

My goodness- In the window I see 2 girls, a blonde and a brunette. I wasn't sure if they were dhampir and moroi or regular girls but their next actionassured that they weren't humans. I saw the brunette,Rosemarie, according to her file, tip her neck towards the blonde, Vasilisa, and Vasilisa started sucking on Rosemarie's neck. I knew what was happening, Vasilisa was feeding off of Rosemarie. I was surprised but, I should have expected it though, Moroi can't live off of human food forever and I heard that they were gone for a while. Vasilisa finished her feeding, { it wasn't that long}, and laid Rosemarie back on the bed. Rosemarie was apparently dazed. Vasilisa said something to Rosemarie and left the room.

Then a black cat appeared at the window, I wasn't sure but I think he saw me. His tail started to twitch. For some unknown reason, cats dont like dhampirs. Damn cat! Rosemarie got off the bed and leaned out the window that I was watching her in. She surveyed the yard, then she jerked back like she was surprised. She couldn't have seen me...could she? I take a couple steps back making sure that the darkness completely covers me. I see Rosemarie look out the window one more time before she disappears. I hear a door slam. This is when I know that she really did see me and that she was going to warn Vasilisa and then they will run away again. Ha, not if I can help it.

"Let's go." I say to the other guardians . "Let's get then at the corner, by Brown street."

We silently travel in the van to Brown street. Some going in the same direction and others going around, just in case the girls try to outsmart us. I feel confident that we'll catch then and take them back to the Academy, or at least I hope so. This is the first we tracked the girls down. I want this to be the van stopped at the corner of Brown street. I saw them both stutter to a stop. Both out of breath, Rosemarie more than Vasilisa. I got out he van. I could hear the other group ofguardians flanking in behind them. Vasilisa looked worried, she shrunk back into Rosemarie. Rosemarie, on the other hand, looked like a total wreck. She had no shoes and looked woozy and unsteady on her feet. She looked around.

"Leave her alone." she sneered at me, "Don't touch her."

I held up my hands hoping to use the sign of truce. "I'm not going to-" I took a step forward. Then Rosemarie did something surprising. She attacked me! Here I was thinking this girl was going to go without a fight! Stupid me! I, however, acted out of guardian instinct. When someone makes a threat to attack you, you fight back. I guess the blood loss & the force of my hit, {I didn't mean to hit her_ that _hard}, was a little too much. She stumbled back, & started to fall hip- first into the sidewalk. Another instinct took over. _Protect. _As fast as I knocked her away, I picked her up.

Immediately I was transfixed to her neck which was bleeding from Vasilisa's bite. She caught me looking and shifted her hair onto her neck. I looked from her neck into her eyes, which were dark brown. I guess Rosemarie wasn't to happy with me looking at her because she returned my look and yanked herself from my grasp. I could tell she was tense and kind of dizzy from the slight swaying she was doing, but she didn't care. Jeez, what have I gotten myself into! She backed up into Vasilisa bracing herself for another fight, when Vasilisa clutched her hand.

"Rose," she said, "Don't. " It's funny how with those two words Rose {I see she goes by Rose not Rosemarie} understood so much, like they were...connected.

Rose slumped her shoulders in defeat and sighed. I took this as my time to introduce myself. I turned to Vasilisa, she seemed like the more calm one, and swept her a bow.

"My name is Dimitri Belikov," I said. "I've come to take you back to St. Vladimir's Academy, Princess."

* * *

**So how do u guys like it? I will continue and i'll appreciate if you guys review or p.m me. If you think there's something im missing or watever dont be afraid to tell me. Just plz don't be rude! But anyway thx for reading guys! I'll try to update a.s.a.p!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

I watched them together, they were whispering. Again I had that feeling that they were _connected._

"Don't let them near each other" I said informing the other guardians to split them up, "Five minutes together, and they'll come up with an escape plan."

Personally I don't know how good it would be, see how we were flying over the Rocky Mountains, but Rose, something about her made me uneasy. Like, she would come up with an escape plan, if we weren't in an airplane. I wondered what made them want to leave the Academy. I decided to sit next to Vasilisa for the first part of the airplane ride. She was shaking and looked really nervous.

"Would you like some water Princess?" I asked, she took the water from me politely and held it tightly.

I could see that Rose had been the backbone to this escape. I didn't know the princess that well but from what I heard and how she's now acting she seems like a kind person,a perfect princess, the last person people would expect to escape the Academy. I leaned forward in my seat to get a western novel. My secret pleasure. I loved those books. After a whileI switched seats with the guardian next to Rose. Seeing that I was seated next to her she stiffly turned to the side, looking out the window. She was obviously pissed at me.

"Were you really going to attack all of us?" I asked. She looked blankly out the window. "Doing that... protecting her like that- it was brave," I was telling the truth. I had realized this early, only _true _guardians protected their Moroi no matter what.

"Stupid, but still brave. Why'd you even try it?" She turned to me then, like the question was absurd and the answer was obvious. I realized what nice hair she had.

"Because, I'm her guardian." she turned back to the window. I looked at her, sighed inwardly and left to the front of the jet.

When we landed we drove them to the Academy. Our car stopped at the gate and we continued into the Academy. We were on the secondary campus, going to the upper school's quad. As we walked into the main part of the upper school Rose left her guardian and came to me.

"Hey Comrade." Comrade? I didn't look at her and I wasn't gonna talk to her either but then I felt myself saying, "You want to talk now?" Yea Dimitri really grown-up.

She ignored my question however and said, "Are you taking us to Kirova?" "_Headmistress _Kirova," I corrected. This girl really needed to understand the importance of titles.

"Headmistress. Whatever. She's still a self-righteous old bit-" Her words faded as she realized where we were going.

I realized then that our route was taking us right through the center of the commons, and it was breakfast time. "_Oh well"_, I said to myself, _"You don't want to be embarrassed, don't run away." _I hadn't meant to sound rude or be mean but hey, that was how I felt. The only thing was that Rose was exactly the opposite of embarrassed. If I didn't know any better I would have said she was enjoying the attention. Vasilisa had a blank face. I couldn't tell if she was nervous or what. We finally ended up in Headmistress Kirova's office and I stayed remembering that I was Vasilisa's guardian. Alberta also stayed reminding me of her place as captain of the school's guardians. I liked Alberta. She was fair and didn't play favorites. I was surprised when she anointed me head of the rescue mission. I guess she wanted to she what I could do. I was new after all. I stood against the wall. Let's just say that I'm glad that I'm not Rose because Kirova looked really scary. She looked like my grandma when I was young and did something bad. Kirova opened her mouth to say something but a voice interrupted her.

"Vasilisa."

I looked across the room to see Prince Victor Dashkov rise from a chair. _Damn. _he did not look good. From what I had heard Dashkov had been diagnosed with a disease that was killing him and keeping him from becoming king.

Vasilisa ran over to him hugging him tightly."Uncle," she whispered "You have no idea how glad I am to see you safe, Vasilisa." Victor said, "And you too, Rose."

Kirova let them have a moment and drew Vasilisa back into her seat. I guessed it was time for the lecture. I admit it I really wasn't listening, and guessing from the blank look on Rose's face she wasn't eiether. She tuned back in when Kirova started on her.

"You, Miss Hathaway, broke the most sacred promise among our kind: the promise of a guardian to protect a Moroi. It is a great turst. A trust that you violated by selfishly taking the princess away from here. The Strigoi would love to finish off the Dragomirs; you nearly enabled them to do it." Jeez, Kirova cut right to the chase.

"Rose didn't kidnap me." Vasilisa said vouching for her friend. She looked utterly calm and confident. "I wanted to go. "Don't blame her."

Okay, this I didn't believe 100%. Sure maybe both of them wanted to go, but Rose seemed like the one that had really carried out the whole thing. Kirova's next words told me that she was probably on the same track as me.

"Miss Dragomir, you could have been the one who orchestrated the entire plan for all I know, but it was still her responsibility to make sure you didn't carry it out. if she'ddone her duty, she would have notified someone. If she'd done her duty, she would have kept you safe.

"I did do my duty." Rose shouted, jumping up from her chair. I flinched but decided to leave her, she wasn't trying to hurt anyone. She continued on, "I did keep her safe! I kept her safe when none of you could do it." she said pointing her finger around the room.

I looked at Vasilisa's face she looked like she was trying to clam Rose down. The only thing was that... she didn't touch her. _They have a bond. _Kirova stared at Rose, her face wascompletely blank. I don't think she expected that from Rose.

"Miss Hathaway, forgive me if I fail to see the logic of how taking her out of a heavily guarded, magically secured environment is protecting her. Unless there's something you aren't telling us?" Rose bit her lip. _"She's hiding something."_My instincts told me.

Kirova went on, "I see. Well, then. By my estimation, the only reason you left-aside from the novelty of it, no doubt-was to avoid the consequences of that horrible, destructive stunt you pulled just before your disappearance."

Oh yeah. I had forgot about the mess that Rose had made in a room before she left. It had been in her file. She had been on suspension for "destruction of property" when her and Vasilisa had left.

Rose tried arguing with Kirova, "No, that's not-" But she was interrupted.

"And that only makes my decision that much easier. As a Moroi, the princess must continue here at the Academy for her own sfety, but we have no such obligations to you. You will be sent away as soon as possible."

Whoa. Rose has really stepped out of line. Students aren't expelled from the Academy all the time. This was really rare. Apparently Rose saw so to.

"I...what?"

Vasilisa stood up, surprise clearly displayed on her face. "You can't do that! She's my guardian."

Kirova was all business. She looked like she had her mind all made up. "She is no such thing, particularly since she isn't even a guardian at all. She's still a novice."

Vasilisa tried to argue. I could see that arguing was more of Rose's battle field than Vasilisa's. "But my parents-"

"I know what your parents wanted, God rest their souls, but things have changed. Miss Hathaway is expendable. She doesn't deserve to be a guardian, and she will leave."

As Kirova was saying this I saw a change in Rose's face. Their was disbelief followed by a sudden coldness. "Where are you going to send me? To my mom in Nepal? Did she even know I was gone? Or maybe you'll send me off to my father?" Something in her tome made me think that Rose and her father weren't in the _best _relationship. "Or maybe you're going to try to send me off to be a blood whore. Try that, and we'll be gone by the end of the day."

"Miss Hathaway," Kirova said, "you are out of line."

I decided to take this as my time to talk. "They have a bond." I said, every eye in the room turned to me. I looked at Rose, "Rose knos what Vasilisa is feeling. Don't you?"

Rose, however, didn't answer. It was Kirova that responded. She looked astounded. She looked between me and Rose.

"No...that's impossible. That hasn't happened in centuries."

Yeah maybe not in America but I know in Russia before I left, there were a few. No one could find out the cause however.. "It's obvious," I continued. "I suspected as soon as I started watching them."

No one responded and Rose looked away from me and confirmed my bond theory. "This is a gift, a rare and wonderful thing." Victor said softly. "The best guardians always had that bond, in the stories."

"Stories that are centuries old." Kirova said outraged. "Surely you aren't suggesting we let her stay at the Academy after everything she's done?"

I shrugged, "She might be wild and disrespectful, but if she has potential-"

"Wild and disrespectful." Rose interrupted. "Who the hell are you anyway? Outsourced help?" I rolled my eyes and sighed quietly.

"Guardian Belikov is the princess's guardian now, her sanctioned guardian."

"You got cheap foreign labor to protect Lissa?" Rose was really starting to make me question why I was defending her. Kirova threw up her hands,

"You see? Completely undisciplined! All the psychic bonds and very raw potential in the world can't make up for that. A guardian without discipline is worse than no guardian."

"So teach her discipline. Classes just started. Put her back in and get her training again." I argued.

"Impossible. She'll still be hopelessly behind her peers."

"No, I won't. " Rose argued, no one listened to her.

"Then give her extra training sessions." I said.

"Who's going to put in the extra time?" Kirova demanded. "You?"

This is when my arguement stopped short. This was not what I had in mind. "Well, that's not what I-"

Kirova was basically beaming with satisfaction, "Yes. That's what I thought." I frowned and looked at Vasilisa and Rose. Vasilisa was basically begging me with her eyes to mentor Rose, and Rose...she looked like she was trying to figure out what was going on in my mind as much as I was trying to figure out hers.

"Yes," I said, "I can mentor Rose.I'll give her extra sessions along with her normal ones."

"And then what?" Kirova angrily said. I think she was banking on me to back out on the lessons. "She goes unpunished?"

"Find some other way to punish her," I said, "guardian numbers have gone down too much to risk losing another. A girl, in particular." I saw Rose shudder. Few dhampir girls became guardians. This reminded me of my mom.

"I'm inclined to agree with Guardian Belikov. Sending Rose away would be a shame, a waste of talent." said Victor. Kirova sighed.I don't think she expected everyone to be against her.

Vasilisa looked at Kirova,"Please Ms. Kirova. Let Rose stay."

Kirova sighed which told us that she made her decision. "If Miss Hathaway stays, here's how will be." She turned to Rose, fixing her with a cold, hard stare. "Your continuedenrollment at St. Vladimir's is strictly probationary. Step out of line once, and you're gone. You will attend all classes and required trainings for novices your age. You will also train with Guardian Belikov in every spare moment you have-before and after classes. Other than that, you are banned from all social activities, except meals, and will stay in your dorm. Fail to comply with any of this, and you will be sent...away."

Rose gave a harsh laugh, "Banned from all social activities? Are you trying to keep us apart? Afraid we'll run away again?"

"I'm taking precautions. As I'm sure you recall, you were never properly punished for destroying school property. You have a lot to make up for." Kirova continued, "You are being offered avery generous deal. I suggest you don't let your attitude endanger it."

Rose opened her mouth to say something then she looked at me, I looked at her. From what I heard she was sarcastic and rude. Why am I doing this? The answer came to me before I even finished thinking the question. It was because I couldn't forget how she guarded Vasilisa against us. Bond or no bond in her heart I believed she was a good guardian. One that just need some training. _"A lot of training." _I thought. And, I was going to be the one to give it to her, if she accepted. She looked away from me, and looked at the floor for the second time during the meeting.

"Fine," she said "I accept."

* * *

**Hey guys thx so much. I've had a lot of people faving my story and im happy! imma start getting more into Dimitri's thought and feelings, and pretty soon his complicated relationship with Rose! Also Dimitri will soon get a letter from his mom!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey thx to the guys that r faving my story! that's kewl anyway imma leave yall to read the story! Enjoy! I'm also working on how to properly put paragraphs in my story, if u have any suggestions don' to be afraid to review of p.m. me.**

**

* * *

****Chapter 3**

After the meeting Kirova sent both girls to class. Rose watched Vasilisa go wistfully. Alberta and I escorted Rose to class, no way were we going to let her run away again. As we entered the gym, novices stared open-mouthed at Rose. Rose looked around the room, her eyes settling on some guys in a corner, and she smiled.

"Hey Mason, wipe the drool off your face. If you're going to think about me naked, do it, on your own time." Rose said. A student, Mason Ashford gave Rose a lopsided smile. Something on his face told me that he liked her.

"This is my time Hathaway. I'm leading today's session." Mason responded

"Oh yeah?" Rose seemed to think about it. "Huh. Well I guess this is a good time to think about me naked, then."

"It's always a good time to think about you naked." Another student, Eddie Castile said.

"Naked! What the hell!" I said in Russian, shaking my head and walking off. I walked to the guardian dorms, planning to stay there and read until it was time to take Rose to her next class. When I got to the dorms one of the matrons stopped me.

"Guardian Belikov, here's a letter for you." I thanked her and took the letter to my room. It was from my mom. My mom and I sent letters to each other from time to time. She told me what went on at home and I told her about the things that went on here.

_Dear Dimka_, The letter started. Dimka was my name in Russian

_I miss you so much. How are you? How is America? Are you eating well?_

One of my mom's biggest fears is that someone will go hungry. When I come home for vacation, mom cooks as if I brought 2 other people with me. When I tell her that she doesn't have to go through all that cooking, she says how, American food is making me thin and that it's always good to have leftovers. Let me tell you! We always have leftovers!

_I also heard that it's cold in America, are you wearing warm clothes?_ {I swear a mother's worry never stops!}

_You wouldn't believe it! Karolina's going to have a baby_! {Karolina was my oldest sister.}

_She thinks it's going to be a girl. Paul is so excited to have a little sibling! Dimka, he reminds me_

_so much of you, when you were young, the only boy in a house full of women! How's your job?_

_Do you like it? I would love to hear all about it! We all miss you! I love you!_

_Love, Mom_

I sighed after reading the letter. I didn't know how or of I was ever going to tell Mom about Rose and Vasilisa. I decided to write back later, right now I had to go escort Rose to her next class. I now had time to actually think about my argument with Rose and how I was in charge of her, Rose, my student. I sighed again. What have I gotten myself into?

I took Rose to second period which was Bodyguard Theory and Personal Protection. This class covered the essentials of being a bodyguard and being a better guardian. I stayed because as a guardian for the school, I worked shifts guarding the school. The teacher was Guardian Alto. From what I heard he has a history of calling out his students, but it wasn't always in a good way. When Rose walked into the room his eyes widened in mock surprise. She, apparently, was no exception.

"What's this? No one told me we had a guest speaker here today. Rose Hathaway. What a privilege! How very generous of you to take time out of your busy schedule and share your knowledge with us." Guardian Alto also has a history of being very sarcastic, something my youngest sister, Vicktoria, always is.

Rose squirmed a little in her chair, her cheeks started turning red. Alto gestured for Rose to stand up. It wouldn't take a fortune teller to predict that Alto was going to humiliate Rose.

"Well, come on, come on. Don't sit there! Come up to the front so you can help me lecture the class.

Rose sank a little lower in her seat, "You don't really mean-"

Alto's bitter smile turned into a hard line. "I mean exactly what I say, Hathaway. Go to the front of the class.

There was silence in the class. Alto was known as a really stern teacher, many students were afraid of him. Rose, apparently wasn't one of the students. She got up and marched to the front of the class, and flipped her hair over her shoulders. She looked ready for anything.

"So Hathaway," Alto said, "Enlighten us about your protective techniques."

"My...techniques?" Rose said

"Of course. Because presumably, you have had some sort of plan the rest of us couldn't understand when you took an underage Moroi royal out of the Academy and exposed her to constant Strigoi threats." Alto, just like Kirova, cut right to the chase.

"We never ran into any Strigoi." Rose replied

"Obviously. I already figured that out seeing as how you're still alive." Alto said, with a snicker.

Rose had this look on her face, like she wanted to say so much, instead she stayed quiet. Alto saw this and used it to his advantage.

"So what'd you do? How'd you make sure she stayed safe? Did you avoid going out at night?"

"Sometimes."

"Sometimes," Alto repeated in a high-pitched voice that was supposed to be Rose's. "Well, then I suppose you slept during the day and stayed on guard at night."

"Er...no."

"No? But that's one of the first things mentioned in the chapter on solo guarding. Oh wait," Alto seemed to fake think about it, "You wouldn't know that because you weren't here."

"I watched the area whenever we went out." Rose replied meekly.

"Oh? Well that's something. Did you use Carnegie's Quadrant Surveillance Method or the Rotational Survey."

Again, Rose didn't say anything.

"Ah. I'm guessing you used the Hathaway Glance-Around-When-You-Remember-To-Method."

"No!" Rose said angrily. "That's not true. I watched her. She's still alive isn't she?"

Huh, good point. Alto was ready for this, however.

"Because you got lucky." he said, leaning toward her face.

"Strigoi aren't lurking around every corner out there. It's not like what we've been taught. It's safer than you guys make it sound."

I had to kind of agree with Rose when she said this. A lot of the novices and Moroi think that Strgoi is around the corner, you can't take a step without being scared or overly cautious. The only thing was...it wasn't like that out of the Academy.

"Safer? Safer? We are at war with the Strigoi!" Alto, apparently, didn't share the same views as I did.

"One of them could walk right up to you and snap your pretty little neck before you noticed him- and he'd barely break a sweat doing it. You might have more speed and strength than a Moroi or a human, but you are nothing, nothing, compared to a Strigoi. They are deadly, and they are powerful. And do you know what makes them more powerful?

Rose looked away from him, her eyes focusing on me and the other guardians.

"Moroi blood." she whispered

"What was that, I didn't catch it?" Alto said loudly

Rose spun around, looking at him, "Moroi blood! Moroi blood makes them stronger!"

Alto nodded and took a few steps back. "Yes. It does. It makes them stronger and harder to destroy. They'll kill and drink from a human or dhampir, but they want Moroi blood more than anything else. They seek it. They've turned to the dark side to gain immortality, and they want to do whatever they can to keep that immortality. Desperate Strigoi have attacked Moroi in public. Groups of Strigoi have raided academies exactly like this one. There are Strigoi who have lived for thousands of years and fed off generations of Moroi. They're almost impossible to kill. And that is why Moroi numbers are dropping. They aren't strong enough-even with guardians- to protect themselves. Some Moroi don't even see the point of running anymore and are simply turning Strigoi by choice. And as the Moroi disappear..."

"...so do the dhampirs." Rose finished

"Well, it looks like you learned something after all. Now we'll have to see if you can learn enough to pass this class and qualify for your field experience next semester."

Field experience was a big part of a novice's training. They got a taste of what the "real" world would be like. They were assigned Moroi to guard and follow, while adult guardians gave staged attacks and threats. Rose spent the rest of the class in her seat, probably thinking about the field experience...or not.

I saw Rose again when she went to lunch. I started walking with her.

"I suppose you saw what happened in Stan's class?" She didn't bother with titles and I didn't correct her. I don't think she'll ever understand the importance of titles. Or maybe she does but just ignores them.

"Yes." I replied

"And you don't think that was unfair?"

"Was he right?" I asked, "Do you think you were fully prepared to protect Vasilisa?"

She looked down at the ground, "I kept her alive." she mumbled

"How did you do fighting against your classmates today?" I had heard from Alberta that she didn't do so well. From the look on Rose's face, she knew that I knew how she did. I had also seen her in her training class after Alto's class.

"If you can't fight them-" I said

"Yeah, yeah I know." she snapped

"You're strong and fast by nature. You just need to keep yourself trained. Didn't you play any sports while you were gone?" I asked

"Sure," she shrugged "Now and then."

"You didn't join any teams?"

"Too much work. If I'd wanted to practice that much, I'd have stayed here."

I shot her a look. She wondered why people questioned her ability to guard Vasilisa, yet these were the words that came out of her mouth. "You'll never be able to really protect the princess if you don't hone your skills. You'll always be lacking."

"I'll be able to protect her." she said fiercely

"You have no guarantees of being assigned to her, you know-for your field experience or after you graduate." When I spoke, my voice was low. I really wasn't going to waste my time on her if I knew she wasn't going to commit 100%. "No one wants to waste the bond- but no one's going to give her an inadequate guardian either. If you want to be with her, then you need to work for it. You have your lessons. You have me. Use us or don't. You're an ideal choice to guard Vasilisa when you both graduate-if you can prove you're worthy. I hope you will."

"Lissa, call her Lissa." Rose said

I walked away, exasperated. Grrrrrr. "_And, you also have a practice with her this afternoon. Isn't that just awesome!" _"Yeah awesome!

* * *

**So how did I do with the paragraphs? Well...I tried! The next chapter is coming up soon!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys this is gonna be a short chapter. Dimitri and Rose have their first traning. Next chapter will probably be longer! Happy Reading!**

**Disclaimer: **

**"Richelle Mead owns these characters!" says Bretagne**

**"You bet she does, without her I wouldn't be here." says Dimitri**

**"And that would be a shame!" mumbles Bretagne**

**"What?" says Dimitri**

**Nothing, back to our regular scheduled programming says Bretagne**

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 4**

_"Where is she?" _I wondered while I paced the gym floor. As you might have guessed the _"she"_was Rose and the where, well I don't know. She was late for her first training practice. No surprise, no surprise. I decide to give her a few minutes, until I went looking for her. After 5 minutes went by I left the gym and went to the novices dorm. Maybe she was there, just leaving her dorm. I checked the dorms, she wasn't there. I was going to have to search around campus. I sighed. I had gotten to the high-school campus when I spotted her, talking to Vasilisa-excuse me Lissa, according to Rose-, already breaking the rules. As I approached them I heard a bit of their conversation.

"...No arguements." Rose said, the princess nodded, argreeing with Rose.

"Rose?" I said.

She looked up at me, looking a bit guilty. What were they talking about?

Your late for practice, I said, trying to keep the impatience and annoyance out of my voice, and doing a pretty good job. I gave Vasilisa a polite nod, , and Rose and I walked away.

"Rose, I would have you know that I don't accept tardyness. If we will continue with these practices, you will be promt and on time." I looked down at her, she didn't say anything, and kept walking. I kept talking.

"These practices are a privilege and they will no longer be at your service, if you can't handle being on time. Again she said nothing, maybe she was ignoring me? I decided to take a softer route.

"Besides in the end these practices will pay off, if you want to be the best guardian you could be while guarding Vasilisa. By now we were in the middle of the quad separating the upper school buildings. I stopped walking but she kept going. I put my hands on her shoulders stopping her. I looked into her eyes, they were an eerie kind of blank.

"Rose?" Was she okay? Should I call for help? About a million questions, surfaced to my mind.

"Rose? Rose?" Suddenly her eyes came,-and I know this will sound weird-, back to life.

"Are you all right?"

She put a hand to her forehead, "I...yeah. I was with Lissa..." _With Lissa? _"I was in her head."

"Her...head?" I asked

"Yeah. It's part of the bond."

"Is she all right?"

Yeah, she's... Rose thought for a moment. I hope she wasn't contemplating not telling me something.

"She's not in danger." Rose finished.

"Can you keep going?" I didn't want her to pass out or anything. I mean, I know what she did,- breaking out of the Academy with the princess, and all- was wrong, but she _was _just 17. The tough bad-girl chick that Rose had been ever since I met her, was gone, just for a moment. She looked vulnerable, and I realized what really pretty brown eyes she had. But Rose was supposed to be my student, the student that would apparently stretch my patience thin.

"Yeah. I'm fine." Rose said, interruping my internal ranting.

We went into the gym, and she changed into some sweats.

"Dimitri," she said, hands on her hips.

"My muscles are _killing_ me! Come on, don't you think that you can give me this training off?" she asked.

I laughed she must be kidding. Right.

"Why is that funny?" She asked. Yeah, she wasn't kidding.

"Oh, you were serious." I said

"Of course I was! Look, I've technically been awake for two days. Who do we have to start this training now? Let me go to bed, it's just one hour." she whined. Yeah right, if she thought I was going to let her off this easy, she was dead wrong. I crossed my arms.

"How do you feel right now? After the training you've done so far?" I asked

"I hurt like hell."

"You'll feel worse tomorrow?"

"So?"

"So, better to jump in it now when you feel...not as bad."

"What kind of logic is that?" _"My logic." _I thought. She didn't say anything else though, and I led her into the weight room. I showed her some weights and reps, then sat in a corner and read my book. When she was done I demonstrated a few cool-down streches.

"How'd you end up as Lissa's guardian?" Rose asked, "You weren't here a few years ago. Were you even trained at this school?" I was kind of taken aback. People didn't really ask me a lot about myself. Most guardians and novices just based me on my reputation. No one really asked questions.

"No. I attended the one in Siberia." I said

"Whoa. That's got to be the only place worse than Montana." she replied

I smiled inwardly, many people took Siberia as an artic waste-land. "After I graduated, I was a guardian for a Zeklos lord. He was killed recently." I felt the smile slip off my face. _All because of a stupid mistake._

"They sent me here because they needed extras on campus. When the princess turned up, they assigned me to her, since I'd already be around. Not that it matters until she leaves campus."

"Did this lord die on your watch?" Rose asked, she sure did ask a lot of questions.

"No. He was with his other guardian. I was away." "_Go on vacation Dimka, you deserve it!" "You sure?" "Of course, Brandon could guard me okay. Besides I don't think I'll go anywhere anyway." _I sighed inwardly, remebering this conversation, oh how I wish I had said no, back then.

"Hey," Rose said, breaking through my trip down memory lane. I had the oddest feeling that she wanted to cheer me up. "did you help come up with the plan to get us back? Because it was pretty good, brute force and all that."

I arched one eyebrow. "Your complimenting me on that?"

"Well, it was a hell of a lot better than the last one they tried."

"Last one?"

"Yeah. In Chicago. With the pack of psi-hounds." _psi-hounds?_

"This was the first time we found you. In Portland."

"Um, I don't think I imagined the psi-hounds. Who else could have sent them? The only answer to Moroi. Maybe no one told you about it." she said. That was really odd. The first time we found them was really in Portland. As the princess's guardian, I was to protect her at all costs. I didn't want anything to happen to her and I wasn't taking any chances. I believed Rose. After practice I decided to go to Alberta. While on the way Riley, one of the school's guardians and a good friend to me stopped me.

"Dimitri! Whats up! Haven't seen you in a while."

"Nothing much Riley, just got this new job as Princess Vasilisa's guardian and Rose's mentor."

"Oh yeah, I heard about that! Wait- Rosemarie Hathaway, that's your student?"

"Yeah." I replied

"Wow, I heard that girl was a piece of work!" he exclaimed. I thought back to our training.

"She's not that bad." I said, and I believed what I said. Rose may be rude and disrespectful, but I believed in here heart she could be a good guardian. {I'm repeating myself. I know I said this already.}

"Hmm... wow, maybe you can't believe everything that you hear. Anyway man, I'll see you later."

"Yeah, okay. Hey, you happen to know where Alberta is?" I asked

"Well, she should be in her office. Yeah, try in her office."

"Okay, thanks."

"No problem, later."

I walked toward Alberta's office and true to Riley's words she was there. I knocked on the door.

"Come in." Alberta said. I came into the room.

"Ah, Dimitri, really nice to see you. I never go the chance to congratulate you on the rescue of Rose and Lissa. That was a job well done."

"Thanks Alberta. Uh, I came here to talk to you about something." She nodded and I sat down.

"Well, I was talking to Rose and she said that psi-hounds came before us to try and track the princess and her down, in Chicago. I know that the first time we caught them was in Portland. Do you think that anyone could be after the princess. Strigoi? Anyone?" As I said all of this Alberta listened calmly and patiently till I was done.

"Well, no I don't think that the princess is in any danger. The accident with her parents and Rose was just that, an accident. And also, well...I don't think that Rose is the best...source. But don't worry, Strigoi can't break through the Academy's magic so, she should be okay."

I thought about what she said. Alberta was right, here at the Academy Vasilisa was free from any outside danger. Also, I believed Rose but Alberta was right. Could I really trust Rose as a credible source?

"Okay, it was just a thought, but I guess it's nothing." I said, "Thanks Alberta."

"No problem Dimitri, anytime, anytime." she replied as I exited.

Later on I ate diner and took a shower. I came back from the shower and lay down on my bed. Today was a really long day. So many things had happened and I was really tired. I looked to my right, at my bed-side table and saw the letter from Mom. _"I'll answer it later." _I thought. Then I turned over took off the light, and fell asleep.

The days kind of flew by after that. Each day going into a routine. Wake up, take shower, go to training with Rose, guard school during day, afternoon training with Rose, eat, sleep. I did see Rose however, in church one Sunday. That kind of surprised me. I didn't really think of Rose as the...holy type. Her practices with me were going okay, and I saw improvement in training with her. About three weeks after the rescue, she walked into the gym, for one of our before school practices. I had the song, "When Doves Cry" by Prince on and I was reading a Louis L'Amour book.

"Whoa Dimitri," she said. "I realize this is a current hit in Europe right now, but do you think we could listen to something that wasn't recorded before I was born?"

My eyes flicked to her, but I kept the rest of my body the same. "What does it matter to you? I'm the one who's going to be listening to it. You'll be outside running."

I saw her make a face as she stretched.

"Hey," she said, "What's with all the running, anyway? I mean, I realize the importance of stamina and all that, but shouldn't I be moving on to something with a little hitting. They're still killing me in group practice."

"Maybe you should hit harder." I retorted

"I'm serious."

"Hard to tell the difference." I put my book down and looked at her. "My job is to get you ready yo defend the princess and fight dark creatures, right."

"Yup."

"So tell me this: suppose you manage to kidnap her again," _"Which will so not happen again." _I thought, "and take her off to the mall. While you're there, a Strigoi comes at you. What will you do."

"Depends on what store we're in." She said. "_Ha ha very funny." _I thought, looking at her seriously.

"Fine. I'll stab him with a silver stake." she said. I sat up, crossing my legs.

"Oh? Do you have a silver stake? Do you even know how to use one?" I asked. She thought about it for a bit.

"Okay. I'll cut his head off."

"Ignoring the fact that you don't have a weapon to do that, how will you compensate the fact that he may be a foot taller than you." I said. She stood up from touching her toes, and I could tell she was annoyed.

"Fine, then I'll set him on fire." she said

"Again, with what?"

"Alright I give up. You've already got the answer. You're just messing with me. I'm at the mall and I see Strigoi. What do I do?"

I looked at her, the answer was really obvious, "You run."

The look just then on her face made me want to laugh out loud. She looked like she wanted to hit me. When she finished with her stretches, I told her I would run with her. I don't know why I offered, I never did before. We started out running at a steady pace. I slowed my pace a little to match hers. Suddenly though, she took off, running faster than before. We had reached the third-to-last loop when we spotted a couple of novice boys. One of them, Mason Ashford, said something to Rose and she smiled and waved back.

"Your slowing down. " I snapped, "Is this why your times aren't getting faster? You're easily distracted?" _Whoa! Where did that come from_? I hadn't meant to saw those words out loud they just slipped out of my mouth. Rose was apparently startled too. She increased her speed and we finished.

"Not bad, huh?" she said, as we headed back inside. "Look like I could get as far as the Limited before the Strigoi got me ar the mall. Not sure how Lissa would do."

"If she was with you, she'd be okay." I said, again the words just came out of my mouth. But this time, I was glad I said it. She looked at me, her eyes showing the gratitude she felt.

And then, that's when it happened.

Her eyes became blank and it was like last time...she was here...but then she wasn't. I took a step toward her. Her eyes were full of life again and then...she took off running.

"Rose?" I said, "Rose! Rose what's wrong? What happened? Where are you going?"

I followed her to the Moroi dorms, where I saw Vasilisa, her eyes full of tears.

''What's wrong? What happened? Rose asked frantically. The princess didn't answer however, instead she flung her arms around Rose's neck and sobbed into her chest. Rose stayed very calm and...guardian-like, stroking her hair, and speaking reassuring words to her. I was tense and alert, ready for anything.

About a half-hour later, we were all in Vasilisa's dorm room. Kirova, some of the school's guardians, the hall matron, Rose and Vasilisa. I surveyed the room, looking for danger. When I turned toward Vasilisa's bed, the sight made me want to hurl. There was a ...fox , on the pillow. It looked harmless, like a stuffed animal...except for the fact that the throat had been slit. The inside were disgusting, oozing out on the pillow. I looked away, I was never one for squeamish sights. I saw Rose look at the animal, she looked very upset. I wondered what she was thinking. She and Vasilisa said something but I didn't hear it because I was too far away. Then Rose's voice grew louder and I could hear what she was saying.

"No it's not the same. It has nothing to do with that, do you hear me? It's going to be okay. Every-thing's going to be okay" What wasn't the same? I wondered

"Get this cleaned up. And find out if anyone saw anything." Kirova said, Kirova looked around the room her eyes settling on Rose.

"Aren't you supposed to be in class?" Kirova said, ordering me to take Rose away. Rose tried pleading with them to let her stay with Vasilisa, but Kirova declined. I walked her back to the novices' dorm. I decided to ask her about what she was talking about in the room.

"You know something. Something about what happened. Is that what you meant when you told Headmistress Kirova that Lissa was in danger?"

"I don't know anything. It's just some sick joke." she replied. The funny thing was, she looked like she wanted to believe her lie. I pressed on.

"Do you have any idea who'd do it or why? Or why?" Rose thought about this for a moment. I felt like I was finally going to get something from her...until she said this.

"No. No clue."

"Rose, if you know something, tell me. We're on the same side. We both want to protect her. This is serious." I said, she then spun around, her face annoyed, upset, angry. All of her emotions were displayed plainly on her face.

"Yeah," she said angrily, "It is serious. It's all serious. And you have me doing laps everyday when I should be learning how to fight and defend her! If you want to help her, then teach me something! Teach me how to fight! I already know how to run away!"

I watched her quietly, calmly. I knew how she felt. Powerless, the way I felt when Ivan had died.

"Come on," I said finally, "You're late for practice."

* * *

**So yeah, this started out as a short chapter but it sure didn't finish that way. I want to thank tayloredfit for the advice on the paragraphs, and I want to thank everyone that reads my story and favs it. Thx so much guys!**

**Next chapter is _the _chapter. The one where I think Roza and Dimka really start falling for each other. So stay tuned!**

**Happy Holidays guys! :)**


	5. Author's Note

**Author's Note!**

**Hey guys! Happy holidays and Happy New Year! Sry I haven't updated in a while. I've been realllllllllllllllly busy! Holidays, school,...wish there was more than 24 hours in a day! LOL! Anyway guys i promise i won't go that long without updating! Chapter 5 is in the works! Promise! I'm also going to be editing chapter 1 and 2 of my story so the paragraphs may look different but they will still stay the same. I will update soon! Promise! Thx for reaidng guys! Oh, I also just finished reading Last Sacrifice. Dang, that book is GOOD! Do u guys notice how Richelle Mead kinda leaves us thinking? Where's Sydney and Eddie? How's Adrian? I'm also really trying to get my number of reveiws to 10. Can we do that pretty please!, with a hot Russian guy on top!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys again, thx for the couple fo reviews i've been getting. Anyway imma stop talking-I mean typing- and let you read the story. Here is the long awaited chapter 6!**

**Disclaimer- I don't own anything...sadly..., the wonderful Richelle Mead does!

* * *

****Chapter 6**

After I brought Rose to her class, I hurriedly made my way to Alberta's office. Before I even I even knocked I heard her voice.

"Come in! Come in!" she said, "Yes, I believe you what Rose said to you now." she continued, beckoning me into a chair. "Yes, there could be someone who's after the princess. We have no leads, yet, but we will be focusing a lot on protection for her and also the school."

We talked some more and she changed my guardian watching's so that I would be closer to Lissa. When I was done talking to Alberta. I felt a bit better about the situation. I went to my new guardian watching and my mind wandered to...Rose. I thought about her outburst and wondered how she was feeling. Those past 3 weeks Rose and I have actually become...well not really friends but more like allies. We have practice in the morning and afternoon and, I don't know we kind of bonded in a way. I've learned a lot of things about her like she's very sarcastic and she curse a lot. {These two things were probably obvious.} I've also learned that she really likes to help people. I've also learned that she's running out of lip-gloss. {She complains about this a lot.} I don't really think about her as a reckless teen. I mean, she's still pretty reckless and all, but now when I think about her I don't sigh...as much. And, if I do sigh they're happy ones.

For the rest of my day I watched Lissa and had my afternoon training with Rose. I was coming back from a late dinner when I decided to take the long way back to the guardian dorms. I don't know why I did it; I just wanted to sort out my thoughts.

I thought about my family back in Russia. I missed them extremely and I admit that I was feeling a bit nostalgic. I had written back to Mom about 2 weeks ago and I haven't heard back since. This was common though. Mail between Russia and the U.S. took a long time. I really had to get Mom into email. I hadn't told her about Rose or Lissa, though, and decide to tell her in my next letter.

I was thinking about all of this when I passed an abandoned lounge. But then...I heard voices. Wasn't it abandoned? I walked towards it and the voices became clearer.

"Stop it." came a female voice. "I told you, I'm not like that." I recognized the voice, I had heard it before. Who was it?

"But if you want something to do with your mouth, I can give you some ideas_." Rose_! The voice was Rose, I was sure of it. Who was she talking to? She wasn't even supposed to be here and guessing from her conversation, her actions were going to get her in trouble.

I was having an internal fight with myself. Go in there and stop her or leave? _"She is your student_." a voice in my head whispered. The more I thought about the kind of situation she was in the angrier I grew. It was odd, it was like the same kind of anger I felt when Rose and I were running and those guys said hi to her. In a heartbeat my decision was made up.

"Yeah." a male voice said. "Like what-"

I flung open the door and strode toward Rose and some Moroi boy. My rage grew a little bit more and I ran across the room-picking the Moroi up by his shirt.

"What's your name?" I sneered.

"J-Jesse sir. Jesse Zeklos, sir." he said, his eyes wide with fright. _Zeklos,_ the name triggered a sad feeling in the back of my mind, but I was too angry to feel it.

"Mr. Zeklos, do you have permission to be in this part of the dorm?"

"No sir."

"Do you know the rules about male and female interaction around here?" I asked

"Yes, sir"

"Then I suggest you get out of here as fast as you can before I turn you over to someone who will punish you accordingly. If I ever see you like this again-" I threatened, pointing to Rose, - "I will be the one to punish you. And it will hurt. A lot. Do you understand?" Poor Jesse had gone pale, paler than standard Moroi pale.

"Yes, sir!" he said

"Then go." I said, releasing him. Jesse got out of the lounge so fast that I wanted to ask where the fire was. Jesse had got the brunt of my rage, but Rose wasn't excused. I turned to her, making sure she knew how disappointed I was.

_And then, it shifted._

I hadn't really looked at Rose when I had entered the lounge. I just knew that she had been on a couch. I hadn't looked at what she was wearing-or in this case, what she _wasn't. _She was wearing jeans and a black bra. I realized just then how beautiful Rose really is. She has long dark brown hair that was so dark, sometimes it looked black. Her face was beautiful and her body was...wow. As I was noticing this I also noticed a pretty pink flush spread over her face and neck. She was studying me as intently as I was studying her. The, looking embarrassed she spoke.

"You see something you like?" Those 5 words snapped me out of my trance.

"Get dressed." I ordered. I hope on the outside I appeared calm because on the inside I was a mess. _"What the hell, Dimitri! She's your student!"_

"How'd you find me? You following me to make sure I don't run away?" she said

"Be quiet." I snapped, leaning down so that we were eye-level, ignoring the fact that a few minutes ago I was remarking how beautiful her face was. "A janitor saw you and reported it." _Where did that come from? _"Do you have any idea how stupid this was?" My anger from earlier was back, along with some other feeling that I couldn't name.

"I know, I know, the whole probation thing, right?" she said. I should have said yes and went on my way, but that second feeling, the one I couldn't name, made me continue.

"Not just that. I'm talking about getting in that situation in the first place."

"I get in that type of situation all the time, Comrade. It's not a big deal." she snapped back. It was though. It really was a big deal and I wanted her to see it. This was how it all started.

"Stop calling me that. You don't even know what it means."

"Sure I do. I had to do a report on Russia and the R.S.S.R. last year." _R.S.S.R.?_

"U.S.S.R." I corrected. "And it is a big deal for a Moroi to be with a dhampir girl. They like to brag." Oh they all did.

"So?" she said

"SO?" I said, disgusted. "So, you don't have any self-respect. You make your-self look cheap. You live up to the standards that a lot of people already think about dhampir girls, and it reflects back on her. And me."

"Oh, I see." she said. "Is that what this is about? Am I hurting your big, bad, male pride? Are you afraid I'll ruin your reputation?"

"My reputation is already made Rose. I set my standards and lived up to them a long time ago. What you do with yours remains to be seen." Again instead of stopping, {the smart thing to do}, I kept going. "Now get back to your room-if you can manage it without throwing yourself at someone else."

"Is that your subtle way of calling me a slut." she shot back

"I hear the stories you guys tell. I've heard stories about you." I immediately regretted the words as soon as they left my mouth. All the anger from her face faded and I think she finally understood my disappointment. She started blinking back tears, but I pretended not to notice.

"Why is it wrong to...I don't know, have fun? I'm seventeen, you know. I should be able to enjoy it."

I understood what she said. Sometimes the Moroi didn't realize the strain of our jobs. Whereas how they could do whatever they wanted, dhampirs had their life planned out for them. I wanted to tell Rose this, to console her, but he guardian in me answered instead.

"You're seventeen, and in less than a year, someone's life and death will be in your hands. If you were human or Moroi, you could have fun. You could do things other girls could." This really sucked but was true.

"But you're saying I can't." When she said this it triggered that sad feeling again. The one that my anger ignored and stuffed to the back of my head for later. I looked away form Rose.

"When I was seventeen, I met Ivan Zeklos. We weren't like you and Lissa, but we became friends, and he requested me as his guardian when I graduated. I was the top student in my school. I paid attention to everything in my classes, but in the end, it wasn't enough. That's how it is in life. One slip, one distraction...and it's too late." I sighed, I was remembering the helplessness I felt after Ivan died. The feeling that nothing I could do or could have done could change the fact that he was gone. Rose looked at me, she probably wasn't expecting me to say that much.

"Jesse's a Zeklos." she said

"I know."

"Does it bother you? Does he remind you of Ivan?" she asked, I was surprised, I didn't think that she could've guessed.

"It doesn't matter how I feel. It doesn't matter how any of us feel."

"But it does bother you. You hurt every day. Don't you? You miss him." I would've never, in a million years, guessed that Rose would be the one to figure out my feelings. Maybe Tasha, and of course Mom, but never Rose. This made me feel odd, like she would know all of my feeling just by looking at me. I really wasn't used to that and it scared me. Tasha, my old girlfriend, sometimes never even came close to figuring out my feelings, but then Rose comes and talks to me and here she knows all of my feelings! What the hell!

"It doesn't matter how I feel. They come first. Protecting them." I said, repeating the guardian mantra that all dhampirs got pounded into their head at the age of 5. Rose thought a bit before answering. I thought she would argue, but I was wrong.

"Yeah. They do." This made me think, long and hard, before I asked my next question.

"You told me you want to fight, to really fight. Is that still true?" I asked

"Yes." she said, without skipping a beat. "Absolutely."

"Rose...I can teach you, but I have to believe you're dedicated. Really dedicated. I can't have you distracted by things like this." I said, looking around the lounge. "Can I trust you?"

She looked at me speechless and in that moment I knew what that second feeling was, the one from earlier. "Yes." she said again, "I promise."

"All right. I'll teach you, but I need you strong. I know you hate the running, but it really is necessary. You have no idea what Strigoi are like. The school tries to prepare you, but until you've seen how strong they are and how fast...well, you can't even imagine. So I can't stop the running and the conditioning. If you want to learn more about fighting, we need to add more training. It'll take up more of your time. You won't have much time for your homework or anything else. You'll be tired. A lot."

She thought about it, and again without skipping a beat responded. "If doesn't matter. If you tell me to do it, I'll do it." Sounded like something a true guardian would say.

I looked at her weighing the pros and cons. Was she really as dedicated as I thought? Would she disappoint me again? I stopped my internal rambling with a short nod.

"We'll, start tomorrow."

* * *

The next day while at a guardian watching I thought about the night before, with Rose. The situation was both awkward and weird. I couldn't how she looked out of my mind. I really shouldn't be thinking about my student like this. I couldn't wait to call mom, forget waiting 3 weeks for a letter, I needed to talk to her. I was thinking about this when Riley came up to me.

"Hey, Dimitri." he said

"Hi, Riley."

"Did you hear?" he asked

"Hear about what?" Okay let's just say that when he asked me this the first thing that flashed through my mind was _busted!_ I thought for sure that someone saw what happened with Rose last night.

"About Christian Ozera. He lit some kid on fire." Riley continued. {cue sigh of relief.} I wasn't really surprised by this. Christian Ozera was Tasha Ozera's nephew. Tasha was my good friend...and ex-girlfriend. Tasha had told me that after the whole Strigoi crap with Christian's parents, she started learning offensive magic. I wasn't surprised that she probably taught Christian a few moves.

"Oh really?" I said

"Yeah, the kid didn't even get hurt though."

"Why did he do it?" I asked

"No one really knows. The teacher there, Ms. Meissner, said that the kid, Ralf Sarcozy, was talking to Rose and Vasilisa and then, poof! The area around him burst into flames. All the guardians were alerted and Christian got suspended. So don't be surprised if you don't see him in class or anything." Riley said, then he said he had to get going and left.

I thought about what he said, but one part really caught my attention. _He was talking to Rose. _I hope she didn't say anything in that sarcastic way of hers that upset him. But, knowing Rose she probably did.

For the first time ever Rose was on time for our afternoon training. _Quick, alert the press, an unnatural occurrence has happened! This is a sign!_ I had been thinking about what she said about wanting to fight and all so I thought that today we would do something different, aside from the usual laps. I positioned her across from me, and we stood facing each other.

"What's the first problem you'll run into when facing Strigoi?" I asked

"They're immortal?"

"Think of something more basic." I pressed; I could see her considering it.

"They're bigger than me. And stronger." I nodded, pleased she figured it out.

"That makes it difficult but not impossible. You can use a person's extra height and weight against them." Then I showed her several moves, and I had her do some of them with me. I could see her taking it all in, absorbing it like a sponge. I decided to let her try during the need of our time together.

"Go ahead. Try to hit me." The look on her face was purely comical when I said that. She lunged at me, but was knocked down. She sprang back up quickly, I think hoping to catch me off guard, but I was too quick. Finally, she held up her hands.

"Okay, what am I doing wrong?"

"Nothing." I said

"If I wasn't doing anything wrong, I'd have rendered you unconscious by now."

"Unlikely. You moves are all correct, but this is the first time you've really tried. I've done it for years." Oh yeah, I was totally bragging about my mad "skillz", as my sister Viktoria put it.

"Whatever you say, Grandpa. Can we try it again?" _Grandpa?_ I was only 24.

"We're out of time. Don't you want to get ready?" I asked. The queen was coming for some royal group thing, but to tell the truth I really didn't care. I would rather spend my time with my western novels but, guardian duties.

She looked at the clock and smiled. "Hell, yeah, I do." Girls, they all liked to play dress-up, even Rose. I was thinking about this when a scream filled the room. I turned around, just in time to see Rose, trying, {key word, _trying_} to leap on my back. I turned around and grabbed her by the wrists pinning her down under me. This was really funny.

She groaned, "I didn't even do anything wrong!"

"The battle cry sort of gave you away. Try not to yell next time." I said, on the verge of out-right laughing.

"Would it have made a difference if I'd been quiet?" she asked, I thought about it.

"No. Probably not." she sighed loudly, but there was still a smile on her face.

Suddenly, it occurred to me the position that we were in. I was on top of her, my hands on her wrist, and she seemed to be studying me too. The scent of her hair, of her skin, overpowered me. My heart started to beat faster. This wasn't really happening...was it? I wanted right in that moment as I looked into her eyes to be able to read her mind. I want to know if she's thinking about me, right now, in the way that I was thinking about her. Suddenly, she spoke.

"So um...you got any other moves to show me?" That damned thing called reality kicked in and I shifted off of her and stood up.

"Come on. We should go." I turned around and walked away, daring myself not to look back.

As I walked back to my dorm, I internally cursed myself out. Rose. I was crushing on Rose. This would have been okay if we were humans or Moroi, but no, we were dhampirs. Not only that but I was forgetting one small, okay maybe not so small detail. S_he was my student! _I could not, absolutely could not be crushing on my student.. She was seven years younger than me. She could be my frickin sister! This could not be happening. I really didn't need this. I really had to talk to Mom.

I stood with the other guardians that lined the walls. I did that looking without really looking guardian thing and surveyed the room. To tell the truth it looked incredible. After months of the female Moroi and dhampirs fussing about how the room would look, they really pulled it together. Vases with crimson red roses and blood red tablecloths that my mother would die for. The room looked, well, fit for a queen, or rather _the_ queen.

In my peripheral vision I saw Rose come in, late of course, in a sweater, and jeans...that looked really good on her. I really need to stop thinking about her like that. She looked across the room, probably looking for teachers so she wouldn't be caught. Instead her eyes rested on me and I resisted the urge to flinch. She blushed and kept walking toward her seat. Wait! Why did she blush? Damn, now I was going to wonder about this for the rest of the ceremony. I thought about it while all of the royals, the queen, and the guardians came in, moving at an impossibly slow speed. These are some of the reasons that I came up with.

1. She's embarrassed about what happened in the gym.

2. She liked what happened in the gym. {Okay. I can't help myself I actually like this one.}

3. She felt hot. {It can happen...right...okay this one is kind of out there.}

4. She-

My reasons were interrupted when I saw Rose's head shoot up; she pushed a couple people to get a better view. I hope this didn't mean trouble. I then saw that Queen Tatiana had stopped in front of Lissa, and she was talking.

"We heard you had returned. We are glad to have the Dragomirs back, even though only one remains. We deeply regret the loss of your parents and your brother; they were among the finest of the Moroi, their deaths a true tragedy. You have an interesting name. Many heroines in Russian fairy tales are named Vasilisa. Vasilisa the Brave, Vasilisa the Beautiful. They are different young women, all having the same name and the same excellent qualities: strength, intelligence, discipline, and virtue. All accomplish great things, triumphing over their adversaries."

"Likewise the Dragomir name commands its own respect. Dragomir kings and queens have ruled wisely and justly in our history. They have used their powers for miraculous ends. They have slain Strigoi, fighting right alongside their guardians. They are royal for a reason."

Hmm...bitc- I mean Queen Tatiana could actually be nice.

"Yes," Tatiana continued, "You are doubly named with power, your names represent the finest qualities people have to offer and hearken back in time to deeds of greatness and valor. But," Aww damn, that famous _but._

_"_As you have demonstrated, names do not make a person. Nor do they have any bearing on how that person turns out." Then Queen Bitch, {I can call her that now, and not feel bad.}, turned around and continued walking down the aisle. The room was silent with shock. Rose had a look of pure hatred on her face and I saw her look out into the aisle and then shake her head. I couldn't help thinking that if Sonya, my sister with a bad temper, was here there would be hell.

I watched Rose through the rest of the banquet. I could see that she was annoyed and impatient and wanted to go. As soon as the post-dinner reception was done, I saw her walk out towards the courtyard. _What is she going to do now? _I followed her but got delayed by Alberta.

"My goodness, did you hear that?" she asked

"Yes, I can't believe it." I said hurriedly, I wanted to catch up to Rose before anything got broken.

"That poor child. The queen should have some mercy."

"Uh-huh."

"You see anything around campus, anything suspicious?" she asked

"No."

"Oh, okay. If you see anything, don't hesitate to say something okay."

"Yeah, okay, sure." I said, then Alberta said her goodbyes, and I headed off in the direction where Rose went.

I passed the courtyard and moved into the garden, searching for her. I then spotted her...probably about to fight. She stood in front of Lissa, in a protective stance. Across form her was a petite blonde girl and other girls. I decided to step forward before anything happened. I walked up to Rose and stood beside her.

"Everything all right." I asked. Of course not.

"Sure thing Guardian Belikov. We were just swapping family stories. Ever heard Mia's? It's fascinating." Rose said. Sarcasm was dripping form her voice. I knew everything wasn't in fact "all right" because Rose never calls me Guardian Belikov.

"Come on." The blonde girl, Mia, said.

"I'm supposed to take you back to your dorm. You weren't about to start a fight, were you?" I asked

"Of course not." Rose said, "I don't start fights where people can see them."

"Rose." the princess groaned

"Let's go. Good night, Princess." I said, turning around, indicating that Rose should follow me. Of course she didn't. When does she ever?

"You going to be okay, Liss?" she asked Lissa

"I'm fine." Lissa responded. She sure didn't sound "fine."

"Liss..." Rose said

"I told you I'm, fine. You've got to go" Lissa coaxed, and finally Rose followed in my direction.

"We may need to add an extra training on self-control." I said

"I have plenty of self-contr-hey!" again she stopped when she saw Tasha's nephew, Christian past by. I was literally going to pick this girl up and carry her to her dorm.

"You going to see Lissa?" she asked, quite meanly.

"What if I am?" he asked

"Rose this isn't the time." I said, again of course Rose didn't listen.

"Why don't you leave her alone? Are you so messed up and desperate for attention that you can't tell when someone doesn't like you? You're some crazy stalker, and she knows it. She told me all about your weird obsession- how you're always hanging out in the attic together, how you set Ralf on fire to impress her. She thinks you're a freak but she's too nice to say anything." Damn, Rose didn't beat around the bush.

"But you aren't too nice?" he asked, rage filling his features.

"No. Not when I feel sorry for someone." Okay this was my time to intervene.

"Enough!" I said, grabbing her and steering her toward the dorms.

"Thanks for helping then." Christian shouted behind us.

"No problem." Rose shouted back. Oh great, more sarcasm!

I steered her into the dorms and made sure she went into her room. Then I went to go call mom.

* * *

**yaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyy! I finally, finally updated. Sry that u guys had to wait so long! I Promise i won't do that again! I made u guys an extra long chapter though!**

**Hey u guys see that reveiw button! Plz Plz Plz Review!**

**I'll really heart u guys if u do!**

**Ca u guys figure out what Dimitri's second feeling was?**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

After I walked Rose to her dorm I went to my own, took a shower, and picked up my cell phone. I sat back on my bed as the phone rang.

"Hello Dimitri." a female voice said

"Grandma?" I was surprised that my Grandma Yeva had answered the phone. She doesn't do it often and I expected my mother.

"Don't Grandma? Me. Just because your mother and sister hog the phone, doesn't mean that I don't want to talk to you. So, who's this Rosemarie girl?"

That was my Grandma Yeva. She never beats around the bush; instead she goes right through it. I wasn't surprised that Grandma knew about Rose. My grandma was a vrajitoare. Kind of like a physic but not. Sometimes she had dreams about big events that were going to happen in someone's life

"Rose...she's just my student, Grandma. Nothing else." I said

"Oh really Dimka. I had a feeling and dream that this Rose woman will bring a lot to your life. Happiness, confusion, comfort...love."

I almost fainted when she said the last one. Love, yeah right. Sure right now I might have a harmful little crush on her, but in time I will get over it. I'm sure of it. I have to. I will...right?

"Grandma...I can't...I won't...I don't feel that way about Rose. She's my student and I'm her instructor. In a couple months she will graduate from the Academy and we will both be Princess Vasilisa's guardian. That's it. That's how it will be, nothing else. Everywhere is not like Baia, Grandma." I said.

Baia was the town that I grew up in. Over there, there is no wrong relationship. Every relationship is accepted. Girl and girl, boy and boy...teacher and student. But like I said to grandma and regardless of her dreams and feelings nothing was going to happen between Rose and me. I'm sure of it...I think.

"Dimitri, it doesn't matter if we're "not in Baia" she said, mimicking my tone. " This girl, this woman, is going to change your life. You are going to go through many things together-whether you like it or not." Her voice was stern and it reminded me of the tough guardian she once was.

"Grandma, listen this is not going to happen!" I was starting to get upset because a small part of me wondered if what Grandma said would come true. Another part of me also remembered that whenever she says something's going to happen, it does. Always. Always.

"It doesn't matter about your feelings or dreams. Okay! Nothing's going to happen!" I yelled into the phone. There was silence for a moment and I felt bad for yelling at her like that. She was an old woman for crying out loud and she was my grandma.

"Okay." she said, after a moment. I was surprised. My grandma was never one to back down from an argument or fight.

"Okay?" I said

"Yes. Okay. But Dimitri, "Again the stern tone appeared.

"You have to promise me something. Regardless of my dreams or feelings, I know that this girl...she will change your life. So Dimitri, you have to promise me that you won't let anything, anyone, not even any Moroi, come in between you and Rose. Promise me, Dimitri. Promise me."

What the?

"Okay Grandma. I promise." Then, in that brisk way that was my grandmother, she said bye and hung up the phone.

I sighed as I put the phone down. I had turned to this phone call for answers and instead I had more questions. Damn.

* * *

I was dreaming about this awesome party my friends threw when we graduated from high school. There was beer, music and of course girls. In my dream though, I was sitting down in a chair, when a certain dark-haired beauty come up to me and starts talking. Because of the music I can't hear what she's saying, but I'm not focusing on that. Instead I'm transfixed on her lips. Those plump pink lips. Suddenly those lips and the dark-haired girl come closer and closer. She's close enough that I can feel her breath on my lips.

We're only a breath apart and then...my phone rings. In the dream the music stops. Where is the ringing coming from? I want to turn it off and get back to the girl. But then, the ringing keeps going and my eyes open. I blinked a couple times and realize the ringing is coming from my night-stand. I turn over and reach for the phone.

"Hello?" I mumbled

"Guardian Belikov?" a woman says

"Yes?"

"There's a student here. Rose Hathaway. She claims that she needs to see you right away. She says it's an emergency. Would you like me to send her back to bed or you'll come?"

I sighed; as much as I wanted to go back to bed I knew it wasn't going to happen. Either Rose was going to come and drag me out of bed for her "emergency" or if I went back to sleep I would worry endlessly about what her emergency was.

As you can see, either decision I choose I'm screwed. This is what made me get my tired ass out of bed, quickly change my clothes, splash water on my face, and down 2 cokes. All in the time span of about 5 minutes. My new record.

I walked in to dorm hall to see Rose standing with the dorm matron that had called me. She tapped her foot impatiently and wore an annoyed expression. Even just woken out of bed Rose looked good. I was reminded about my dream. What I needed to do was focus, get into guardian mode.

"Lissa." I said. She nodded and followed me to the Moroi dorms.

When we got there the hall matron appeared surprised.

"She's in the bathroom." Rose said. The matron tried to go with Rose inside but Rose disagreed.

"She's too upset. Let me talk to her alone first." Rose said.

Really at this point I would let Rose do anything if it meant I could get back in bed again. Selfish? Yes, I know. I'm working on it.

"Yes. Give them a minute."

Rose pushed the door open and went inside.

"Teenagers? Huh. You never know." the matron said.

I waited outside a couple minutes, but then I started to get paranoid and restless. What if something had happened and Rose tried to clean it up by herself? Knowing Rose this probably could happen. I knocked on the door.

"Rose?"

"Just a sec." I heard her answer. The thing was I couldn't wait a sec if something was wrong I wanted it resolved now. I guess the matron sensed my impatience, because then she said,

"We're coming in." I went through the door with the matron at my heels.

I walked in and found Rose standing next to Lissa who had...blood smeared on her face. I was instantly alert.

"It's not mine." Lissa said. "It...It's the rabbit..."

What rabbit? I quickly assessed the rest of her, making sure nothing else was injured or hurt. This was something I had learned how to do when I was young with my sisters, after my father had visited.

"What rabbit?" Rose asked.

Lissa pointed to the trash can, shakily.

"I cleaned it up. So Natalie wouldn't see."

Rose and I walked over to the trash can and peered in. I resisted the urge to puke and beside me Rose gave a little gasp. There was blood. Lots of it. Paper towels soaked with blood. Globs of just bloody stuff. It was disgusting.

I walked closer to Lissa and bended down to look her in the eye. I remembered to use soothing tones and to speak calmly. This is the advice my mom told me to use if I was in any situation where a girl might cry. This advice helped a lot when living in a house with women. I calmly handed her a tissue.

"Tell me what happened." I said.

"I came back an hour ago. And it was there. Right there in the middle of the floor. Torn apart. I was like it had...exploded." she said, sniffling. I nodded to show I was listening.

"I didn't want her to find it, didn't want to scare her...so I-I cleaned it up." Brave girl, I thought. If I had seen it I probably would have screamed like a little girl...then remember I was a man and clean it up.

"Then I just couldn't...I just couldn't go back..." she said, starting to cry. Beside her, a look of understanding dawned on Rose's face. I made a mental note to ask her about it later.

"No one should be able to get into these rooms! How is this happening?" the matron exclaimed in a shrill voice that was starting to get on my nerves. I remained calm as I tried to get as answers as I could out of Lissa.

"Do you know who did it?" I asked. Lissa pulled a blood-soaked piece of paper out of her pocket. I smoothed it out, trying not to think of whose blood it was.

I know what you are. You won't survive being here. I'll make sure of it. Leave now. It's the only way you might live through this.

As I read this I felt completely disgusted. Who would be after a poor teenage girl like this? It made me truly upset and disgusted.

The matron headed toward the door. "I'm getting Ellen." she said.

"Tell her we'll be at the clinic." I said. Lissa had started turning a little pale beside me. "You should lie down."

Rose supportively linked her arm around her friend and steered her toward the clinic. When we got to the clinic the nurse on duty offered to wake one of the doctors but I declined.

"She just needs to rest." I said. Soon after Kirova showed up and started questioning her. I was about to jump in but Rose beat me to it.

"Leave her alone! Can't you see she doesn't want to talk about it? Let her get some sleep first!"

"Ms. Hathaway, you are out of line as usual. I don't even know what you're doing here."

I gestured for me and Kirova to speak together outside the clinic.

"Belikov! You better have a good reason for dragging me out here!" she said.

The thing was I was tired and I really, really, really tired, and I wanted nothing more than to go back until my soft cotton sheets and continue dreaming about the party. But of course I had a duty to obtain so I stopped my internal bitching and whining and did what I came to do.

"Ms. Kirova, the princes is in a state of both physical and emotional shock. I don't think it would be wise right now to start questioning her, at least not right away."

"Guardian Belikov! Are you directing me how to do my job?" she asked, outrage filling her voice and features. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

"Ms. Kirova, I'm just saying that we would not like the princess to feed us untrue information or muddled facts due to her shock."

"Okay Belikov, you better be right about this one. Where does Hathaway come in this, though?"

"Ro-I mean- Ms. Hathaway and the princess are very close. Let her stay... at least just for a little while." Kirova thought about this for a bit.

"Fine." she huffed, turning on her heels, back into the clinic. I couldn't help my smirk, as she turned around.

Kirova=0 Dimitri=1

"You may stay with here for a little while." she said to Rose. "We'll have janitors do further cleaning and investigation in the bathroom and your room, Ms. Dragomir, and then discuss the situation in detail in the morning."

"Don't wake Natalie," Lissa whispered. "I don't want to scare her. I cleaned everything in the room already."

Kirova then retreated, telling me that I could go back to sleep. I personally think that she was upset about the little "argument" that we had earlier. I didn't want to leave Lissa alone, but Rose assured me that she would be okay, so I left.

As soon as my head hit that pillow, I was out like a light.

Sadly, without any more dreams.

When I went to training that morning with Rose, I could see her fatigue. She was after-all 10 minutes late.

"You okay?" I asked her, while we did our stretches. She looked a little taken-aback, but then answered.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine." she said.

"You sure? Last night was..."

"No, no we're fine. I'm fine. There isn't anything to worry about." she said, flashing me a smile. I decided to take her word for it, and didn't say anything else

The rest of the day was normal until my afternoon training with Rose. First of all she was early, which never, ever, ever, happens. When I gave her a look, the look on her face astonished me. She looked...mad, upset, and angry, like she wanted to terribly punch someone. And then, under that, sad, alone. The look in her eyes looked so familiar, but I brushed it off. We went through practice and it was like Rose wasn't there. She calmly listened to my instructions. There was no sarcasm, no attitude, no Rose.

While I was walking back to my dorm, Riley approached me.

"Belikov, did you hear?"

"Hear what?"

"About your student, Rose." When he said this all of my red flags went up.

"Okay, I heard this from a couple students." I swear Riley gossiped like a couple of teenage girls. He then launched into a story about Rose backing down from with some Moroi, Ralf and the same Jesse dude that I found with Rose. When Riley finished I wanted to hurt, yes hurt, both Jesse and Ralf for the pain they inflicted on Rose. No one would hurt my Roza. Did I just say that?

First, I went to Lissa's dorm and had her wait in a back stairway.

Then, I went to Rose's dorm and knocked lightly. She answered the door. Her cheeks were stained with tears and her eyes were bloodshot. I suddenly knew that look I saw I her eyes earlier today. It was a look that said she was hurting inside, badly, but she would rather die than show how badly she was hurting. I looked away.

"Are you okay?" I asked, gently.

"It doesn't matter if I am, remember? Is Lissa okay? This'll be hard on her."

I was surprised. Again, I was reminded what a true guardian Rose was. A guardian that cared more for her charge than herself. I gestured for her to follow me and led her toward Lissa.

"Five minutes." I said, as she curiously went inside. I closed the door a bit to give them some privacy.

Why was I doing this? I was going to extreme matters for this girl. Maybe, it's because you like her. A voice in my head said. I tried to dismiss it. Just like I told my grandma, Rose was my student and my student only. The only thing was...if she was really my student and only my student why did I feel this way. I paced and ran a hand through my hair.

I also wanted to know what they were talking about, but I refrained myself. I would never again listen in on girls' conversation. Not after what happened with my sister Sonya. I shuddered just thinking about it. I had been still a kid, not yet, a teenager, when I listened to Sonya's conversation one day. Sonya, however, was a teenager. The topic her and her friends had talked about was...mature. I was scared. Not to mention, how Sonya got me back when she figured out that I had listened. After that I vowed to never again to listen to girls' conversations. Never, ever.

I stuck my head out after a couple of minutes.

"You've got to get back inside, Rose, before someone finds you." I said, I saw her give Lissa a desperate look.

"I'll take care of everything this time, Rose. Everything." she said, retreating back to her dorm. Was it just me or did you hear that double meaning too?

As Rose got into her dorm, she gave me a weak smile.

"Thanks Dimitri...for everything."

"No problem Rose. Just...know when you have a problem...I'm here for you, okay."

"Okay, and thanks again." she said, flashing me another smile, that stayed in my head the whole night.

* * *

**Yaaaaaaaaaaaa, I finished yet agian another chapeter. Sry about takign so long. Things have been really, really busy in my life. You could reveiw to make me feel better...{she says slyly.}**

**This has been scientifically proven:**

**Reviews=happy me**

**Happy me= Faster updates! Really!**

**I also enabled the annoymous review, which means that even if u don't have an account u can still reveiw.**

**Thx for reading!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey guys, this might be a short chapter. A lot of things are happening to Rose, without further adoo CHAPTER 8!**

**Disclaimer: Richelle Mead own Vampire Academy...but Dimitri _can_ be mine. Uh-oh, Rose just gave me a dirty look. Why is she running towards me? AHHHHHHHH!**

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 8**

The next day Rose didn't look absolutely fine but she did look _okay. _I saw, {okay looked}, for her throughout the day and her face was blank. She walked through the halls, ignoring everyone and everything. A weird feeling consumed me when she walked into practice later that day, I wanted to hold her, to console her, do anything to make her feel better. Damn, I was screwed.

The next day, Rose and I had our before school practice. After our running, I led her through an offensive exercise. During the exercise, her eyes filled with rage. She managed to hit me, at times, but she was always the one that staggered back from the impact. As we carried the equipment back, I looked down at her, or rather her hands.

"Your hands," I said. "Damn." I swore in Russian. "Where are your gloves?" I asked her.

She looked down at her battered, bruised hands. They looked horrible; I don't know how she didn't feel it.

"Don't have any. Never needed then in Portland."

"Damn." I swore again. Again, that _feeling_, consumed me. I took her to a chair and took out a First-Aid kit. I wiped away some of the blood on her hands. I tried to ignore my beating heart as I stroked her small fingers.

"We'll get you some." I said, making sure to scold Kirova for not giving her damn students gloves.

"This is only the start, isn't it?" she asked

"Of what?"

"Me. Turning into Alberta. Her...and the other female guardians. They're all leathery and stuff. Fighting and training and always being outdoors-they aren't pretty anymore. This...this life. It destroys them. Their looks I mean."

I didn't know what to say. I looked at her, her dark hair that looked like silk, her large dark brown eyes, and those sexy full lips. I really shouldn't be thinking like this, especially the last comment.

"I won't happen to you. You're too..." I paused again, I hadn't meant for it to come out. Now my mind was filling with substitutes to finish my sentence._ Sexy, beautiful, gorgeous_. I needed to stop, so I slipped back into guardian mode.

"It won't happen to you." I finished. To hide my face, I concentrated on her hands.

"It happened to my mom. She used to be beautiful. I guess she still is, sort of. But not the way she used to be. Haven't seen her in a while. She could look completely different for all I know." She said bitterly. I sensed anger toward her mother.

"You don't like your mother?" I asked

"You noticed that, huh?" she said, sarcastically.

"You barely know her."

"That's the point," Rose argued, "She abandoned me. She left me to be raised by the Academy." I began rubbing salve on her hands. I felt a tingle as I rubbed her hands on mine. This doesn't mean anything though...at least I hope it doesn't.

"You say that...but what else should she have done? I know you want to be a guardian. I know how much it means to you. Do you think she felt any differently? Do you think she should have quit raising you when you'd spend most of your life here anyway?"

Rose gave me a look when I finished.

"Are you saying I'm a hypocrite?" she asked.

"I'm just saying maybe you shouldn't be so hard on her. She's a very respectful dhampir woman. She's set you on the path to be the same."

"It wouldn't kill her to visit more. But I guess you're right. A little. It could have been worse, I suppose. I could have been raised with blood whores." Rose said. Fleeting anger filled my mind. Blood whores. I had dealt with that word my whole life.

"I was raised in a dhampir commune. They aren't as bad as you think."

"Oh." Rose said, blush filling her cheeks. "I didn't mean-"

"It's all right." I said, interrupting her.

"So, did you, like, have family there? Grow up with them?"

"My mother, 3 sisters, and grandmother. I didn't see them much after I went to school, but we still keep in touch." I felt a familiar pang in my heart that happens whenever I talk about my family. "Mostly those communities are about family, there's a lot of love there, no matter what stories you've heard."

Rose glanced down and I wondered what she was thinking. "Yeah, but...isn't it weird? Aren't there a lot of Moroi men visiting to, you know...?

"Sometimes." I said, remembering the horrible man that I used to call my father.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up something bad..."

"Actually...you probably wouldn't think it's bad." I hesitated, wondering if I should tell Rose about my father. "You don't know your father, do you?"

"No." she said, "All I know is that he must have had wicked cool hair."

Yeah, dark brown hair that probably felt like silk.

"Yes, he must have." I said, "I knew mine."

"Really?" she squeaked. "Most Moroi men don't stay-I mean, some do, but you know, usually they just-"

"Well, he _liked _my mother." Yeah _liked. _"And he visited her a lot. He's my sister's father too. But when he came...well, he didn't treat my mother very well. He did some horrible things."

The screams filled my mind and I immediately pushed them back.

"Like...Blood-whore things?" Rose asked hesitantly.

"Like beating-her-up kinds of things." I said. I had finished with the bandages, but her small hands were still enveloped in mines.

"Oh God." she said, squeezing my hands. "That's horrible. And she...she just let it happen?"

"She did, but I didn't."

"Tell me; tell me you beat the crap out of him." Rose said, excitedly.

I smiled a bit, "I did."

"Wow, you beat up your dad. I mean, that's really horrible...what happened. But, wow. You really are a God."

_A God?_

"What?" I said, she thought...she thought, I was a God. Now why did this thrill me? If Lissa had said I was a God I would have been flattered, but nowhere as thrilled as when Rose had said it.

"Uh nothing. How old were you?" Rose asked.

"Thirteen." I replied. A God?

"You beat up your dad when you were thirteen?" The smile on Rose's face grew broadly.

"It wasn't that hard. I was stronger than he was, almost as tall. I couldn't let him keep doing that. He had to learn that being royal and Moroi doesn't mean you can do anything you want to other people-even blood whores."

Rose stared at me for a moment, probably putting together her thoughts.

"I'm sorry." she finally said.

"It's all right."

"That's why you got so upset about Jesse, isn't it? He was another royal, trying to take advantage of a dhamipir girl."

I averted my eyes when I answered. "I got upset over that for a lot of reasons. After all you were breaking the rules, and..." I looked right into those smoldering brown eyes. A_nd because I'm starting to have feelings for you but, I don't know it's all so confusing, all I know is that I don't want you with that scumbag Jesse...I want you with me._ In my mind I tried to scramble back into guardian mode.

Rose looked down. "I know you heard what people are saying, that I-"

"I know it's not true." I interrupted.

"Yeah, but how do you-"

"Because I know you, I know your character. I know you're going to be a great guardian."

"I'm glad someone does. Everyone else thinks I'm totally irresponsible." she said

"With the way you worry more about Lissa than yourself." I shook my head, "No. You understand your responsibilities better than guardians twice your age. You'll do what you have to do."

Rose thought about what I said for a while. "I don't know if I can do everything I have to do."

I raised an eyebrow.

"I don't want to cut my hair." she said.

"You don't have to cut your hair. It's not required."

"All the other guardian women do. They show off their tattoos."

I almost smiled. One of the best things that I like physically about Rose was her hair. That smooth dark brown hair which I'm sure probably felt like silk. Then, all of a sudden, my hands seemed to work on their own. I reached forward, and held a lock of Rose's hair. My mind was screaming obscenities at me, but I was too far gone...her hair did feel like silk. I felt her stiffen under my touch and knew immediately that I went a step to far. She probably thought I was some creepy pedophile. I let go.

"Don't cut it." I said.

"But no one will see my tattoos if I don't."

I walked toward the door, trying to slow my racing heart from touching her hair. I smiled a bit.

"Wear it up."

* * *

**Okay guys, so the next chapters are going to have a lot more R&D action. Promise!**

** Plz Plz Review, more reviews=faster updates! **

** Thx!**

** -Brittany**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey guys, I'm sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo sry that I haven't updated sooner. I've been sooooooooooooooooooo busy. School, final-exams, ect. ect.! Anyway, here's chapter 9, sry it took so long! **

**Disclaimer: Richelle Mead owns Vampire Academy.**

* * *

**Chapter 9**

When I was little my mom made me and my sisters go to church. I had complained at first, but learned to just go with it. Now, at 24, I still go to church every Sunday. I kind of like it, to tell the truth and well, this might sound weird but I feel at peace after I go to a service. Being a guardian has its perks but sometimes...well, sometimes its hard. You remember that the Strigoi that you are killing was once a Moroi or a dhampir, or human. I remember how I felt after I had killed my first Strigoi. I felt like curling into a ball and crying into my mother's shoulders. "Go to church Dimka" she said, and being the good boy that I am, I did. I remember sitting in the back of the church, nervous, but as I started to listen to the priest I felt something, open up inside me. I felt good after I left that Sunday and I started going every Sunday since.

This Sunday, Rose was there. This wasn't unusual, Rose sometimes showed up at church. I was about to look away when I saw two boys look right at Rose and start laughing. Rose seemed to ignore it, but surprisingly, it was Lissa who intervened. She stared at them with such intensity, I'm surprised they didn't get up and leave right then. Lissa said a few words and suddenly the boys were practically falling over themselves apologizing, {I guess} to Rose. Lissa snapped at them and said something again, Rose touched her friend's arm and the guys slumped with relief. I wanted to know what happened, but I decided to stay out of it. The only thing was that for the rest of the day, I couldn't get the feeling out of my head that what happened in the church with Lissa and the guys just wasn't... _right. _The way they had apologized so quickly when Lissa had looked at them...it was weird.

A few days later Kirova called me into her office...or as I liked to call it her dungeon.

"Guardian Belikov, you are needed to go off campus with Princess Dragomir. They will be facilitating the shopping stores in Missoula." she said. I found it funny how she said "facilitating" instead of just _shopping._

"They?" I asked.

"Yes, Prince Dashkov, his daughter Natalie and a few of her peers, will be also be going along on this trip."

"Oh." I said. "I take it then that Ro- Ms. Hathaway will be accompanying us?" _Wait, why did I want her there? _Kirova looked at me like I was on crack.

"And why, do you think that _Ms. Hathaway,_" she said, dragging out Rose's name. "would be accompanying you?"

"Well, "I said, " There is a possibility that Rose will be Vasilisa guardian, right?"

"Yes Guardian Belikov, a _possibility-_"

"And, "I said, cutting Kirova off, "she has been advancing in her training."

"Yes, but-"

"And," I said _again, _cutting Kirova off _again,_"I think that this will be a good training exercise for her. You know, being a guardian for an afternoon, really going into the field. You understand where I'm going with this, right Headmistress Kirova." I said, smiling sweetly like a good little boy.

Kirova considered everything that I had said, for a moment. Then she said, "Okay, well you do make some very fine points," _Some very fine points indeed. _I said to myself.

"And well, I guess that Hathaway could gain some real guardian insight, shadowing if you may call it."

"Yes, of course." I said, nodding like an eager student.

"And you'll keep tabs on her at all time, Belikov."

"Yes, of course." I repeated

"Well, then I don't see a problem with her going along. I'll tell her that she will be accompanying the girls and the Prince." Kirova said, and with a brief nod I was dismissed.

I couldn't help the smile that came across my lips when I walked out the room.

* * *

A couple days later I walked toward the van that we were using to go to Missoula. I saw Lissa and Rose waiting by the van. I noticed that Rose had her hair up in a bun, like I had advised. I smiled to show her I saw.

"Headmistress Kirova thinks you've done well since coming back." I said.

"Aside from starting a fight in Mr. Nagy's class?" Rose asked.

"She doesn't exactly blame you for that. Not entirely. i convinced her that you needed a break...and that you could use this as a training exercise." Okay, I admit it was kinda funny watching Rose's face fall when I said training exercise.

"Training exercise?"

I gave her a little explanation of what she would be doing while we were at the mall, as we climbed into the van. Prince Victor Dashkov was indeed there with his guardians. Every time that I saw him my heart wrenched with sympathy. I had heard that he was a great man, one who didn't deserve the terrible disease.

"Camille and Natalie don't have personal guardians yet. They're under the protection of their families' guardians. Since they are Academy students leaving campus, a school guardian accompanies them-Stan. I go because I'm Lissa's assigned guardian. Most girls her age wouldn't have a personal guardian yet, but circumstances make her unusual." I said, as I explained to Rose about our group of Moroi and guardians.

Rose sat in the back, with me and one of Victor's guardians, Spiridon.

"She's supposed to have two guardians. princes and princesses always do." Rose said.

"Don't worry, she'll have plenty when the time comes. Dimitri's one of them. Odds are you'll be one too. And that's why you're here today." Spiridon piped up.

"The training part." Rose said

"Yup. You're going to be Dimitri's partner."

An awkward, funny silence fell when Spiridon said that. A silence that I'm pretty sure was only noticeable to Rose and me. Our eyes met subconsciously and I nervously looked away.

"Guarding partner." I said. Was she thinking about other kinds of partners too?

"Yup." Spiridon said, and with that he went on to explain how guardian pairs worked.

"You'll probably always be the near guard." I explained to Rose at one point. "You're female and the same age as the princess. You can stay close to her without attracting any attention."

"And I can't take me eyes off her," Rose said "Or you" I tried to ignore the way my heart sped up when she said the last comment. Spirdon laughed again and elbowed me.

"You've got a star student there Did you give her a stake?"

"No. She's not ready." I said

"I would be if someone would show me how to use one." I was pretty sure that someone was me.

"More to it than just using the stake." I said. "You've still got to subdue them. And you've got to bring yourself to kill them."

"Why wouldn't I kill them?" Rose asked.

"Most Strigoi used to be Moroi who purposely turned. Sometimes they're Moroi or dhampirsturned by force. It doesn't matter There's a strong chance you might know one of them. Could you kill someone you used to know?"

Rose hesitated for a moment.

"I guess so. I'd have to right? If it's them or Lissa..."

"You might still hesitate. And that hesitation could kill you. And her."

"Then how do you make sure you don't hesitate?" Rose asked

"You have to keep telling yourself that they aren't the same people you knew. They've become something dark and twisted. Something unnatural. You have to let go of attachments and do what's right. If they have any grain of their former selves left, they'll probably be grateful."

"Grateful for me killing them?"

"If someone turned you into a Strigoi, what would you want?" I asked, she didn't reply.

"What would you want if you knew you were going to be converted into a Strigoi against your will? If you knew you would lose all sense of your old morals and understanding of what's right and wrong? If you knew you'd live the rest of your life-your immortal life- killing innocent people? What would you want?"

Rose didn't say anything for a long time. I wasn't kind of surprised of myself. The words just kinda poured out. I glanced at Rose, something in her eyes told me that she understood. It was weird, at that moment I felt...completely understood. When I had just started being a guardian, many other guardians joked that I was "too serious." I didn't feel like they got it though. I grasped this duty with seriousness and sometimes...I felt like other people didn't understand. Looking at Rose, right then, I felt like _she did. _Like she understood. That feeling scared the crap out of me.

"If I became a Strigoi...I'd want someone to kill me." Rose said quietly.

"So would I." I said

"It reminds me of Mikhail hunting Sonya." Victor said.

"Who are Mikhail and Sonya?" Lissa asked.

"Why I thought you knew." Victor said looking surprised. "Sonya Karp."

"Sonya Ka...you mean, Ms. Karp? What about her?" Lissa asked, looking between Rose and Victor.

"She...became Strigoi." Rose said quietly, "By choice." By the tone of Rose's voice and the shock on Lissa's face, I assumed that Lissa didn't know and that Rose had kept it a secret."

"But I don't know who Mikhail is." Rose said

"Mikhail Tanner." Spiridon responded.

"Oh. Guardian Tanned. He was here before he left. Why was he chasing Ms. Karp." Rose asked.

"To kill her. They were lovers." I said. There was a silence that followed with everyone preoccupied with their own thoughts on the situation.

"Perhaps it's time to talk about something else. Today isn't a day to dwell on depressing topics." Victor said.

In the mall I had to say, I was proud of Rose. She dutifully stayed by Lissa's style as they went store to store. She did, however, complain about not having a communication device, like the other guardians did. I told her that she should learn how to protect Lissa the old-fashioned way, without the device, she scowled when I said that. At one point, I asked Spirdon to watch our Moroi (and Rose) for a moment. I hurried to the other side of the mall. I had seen the store when we had come in and reminded myself to come back. I admit it, as I was walking, I tried to talk myself out of it. _You shouldn't be doing this. It's not appropriate. _I told myself, but that didn't stop me from opening the door and walking in. Instantly, when I walked inside, I felt uncomfortable. Perfume greeted me,women watched my every move as I headed toward the back, anxious to get it, and get out. I approached the counter, and set the object down.

"Will that be all?" the blonde asked, smiling. Her nametag said "Rachel"

"No. Nothing." I said, she put it in a small pink bag, and I left, relieved.

Never again was I going into Victoria Secret.

I got back to where Rose and Lissa were and thanked Spiridon. I put the bag into my duster pocket. Lissa was holding up a dress for Rose. From where I stood, I could see that the dress was black, strapless, and looked sexy...very sexy. Rose looked at the dress, wistfully. Lissa offered her the dress, but Rose shook her head. Lissa took the dress anyway. The ride home was a tired silence, and Rose leaned against the seat and yawned. I tried to ignore, how close we were.

"So I can't ever try on clothes again?" Rose asked quietly.

"When you aren't on duty, you can. You can do it during your time off."

"I don't ever want time off. I want to always take care of Lissa." she yawned again. "Did you see the dress?" she asked.

"I saw the dress."

"Did you like it?" she asked

_Yes_

I didn't answer.

"Am I going to endanger my reputation if I wear it to the dance?"she asked.

I waited a while before asking. "You'll endanger the school." I saw her smile as she fell asleep on my shoulder. She shivered once so I took off my duster and draped it over her. I know this probably sounds creepy and stalkerish...but I watched her sleep. Watched ever breath she took, watched her mouth round into a perfect o. Yeah, I know, I'm not proud.

As we walked back inside the school, Rose, laughing while talking to Lissa, jumped onto a wooden bench, walked on it, then jumped down, then she hopped onto another bench.

"Hey, you're still on duty. No fun allowed up there." Spirdon yelled jokingly.

"No fun here!" Rose yelled back. "I swear-shit!"

She was on the third bench, ready to jump down, when all of a sudden the wood collapsed. Rose followed the rest of her body as it tumbled down. She lay still for a moment. I ran towards her, and that's when I saw that she was unconscious.

* * *

**Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. Finally updated! U noe wat will make me evn more happier? **

**REVIEWS! lol!**

**thx to all of yall for reading and favoriting and story alerting. they really make my day :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey u guys again! Thx for reading. I was smiling LIKE AN IDIOT, when I saw how many people reviewed and favorated, and story-alerted. THX U GUYS! I LUV ALL OF U GUYS! Anyway at the end of this chapter I have some news sooooooo...read on!**

**Disclaimer: Richelle Mead owns Vampire Academy.**

* * *

**Chapter 10**

She was screaming. She was screaming LOUD. It took me and the guardians about 5 minutes to free her foot, it didn't look good, bending the way that it was. I had scooped her into my arms and was running to the nurse's office. And...she was still screaming. That girl has a set of lungs on her, let me tell you.

"Shit. It's hurts so feakin' much!"she yelled.

"Shh Rose." I whispered into her hair. It smelled really good, by the way. "You'll be okay."

"But-but it hurts so much!" she wimpered, clutching at my shirt.

"It's okay. It's okay."

"I'm going to be out of practice too, aren't I? Shit." Then she started screaming...again. I heard Lissa's footsteps behind me. I knew it was her because as soon as we freed Rose's foot, she was right by her friend's side, trying, desperatly to console her. We reached the clinic and I set Rose on the bed.

"Dr. Olendzki! Dr. Olendzi!" I yelled.

"Rose shh. Please Rose. Rose, calm down." Lissa sat by her friends side and stroked her hair. It was really weird, immediatly as Lissa sat down, Rose calmed down. Lissa stroked her hair, and Rose's yelling became little tiny whimpering, and then she stopped altogether.

"What do we have here?" the doctor said. I explained what had happened to Rose. Lissa, looking flustered, hurridely left the room. I caught her by the arm before she left.

"Princess, are you okay?" I asked. She glanced at Rose's unconscious body.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. I just-I just need to go lie down." She stammered.

"Are you sure?" I asked

"Yeah, I'll just go back to my dorm and relax. I'll be fine, promise." she said, smiling weakly at me. I let her go and then she left.

While I had talked to Lissa, Dr. Olendzi was tending to Rose. I walked over to the bed.

"I gave her some medciation for the pain, but, well, her foot isn't broken, not even sprained." the doctor said.

"It looked, and sounded like she hurt it pretty bad, though." I said.

"Hmm, perhaps it was shock. I'll give her some medicne, just in case, for the pain." The doctor then gave Rose the medicine and left.

"I'll just stay here, in case she wakes up." I said to the doctor before she left.

I looked at Rose's sleeping face. Her mouth made a small little _o. _Her dark hair stood out against the white pillow. I know I've said it before, and I will say it again, I wanted to run my hand through her hair, feel the curls between my fingers. I reached out to touch it, then immediately scolded myself. I wish I had my mom. To tell me what to do, to explain what I'm feeling.

Rose made me feel...she made me feel like I was a teenager again, with a crush, just a stronger feeling than a crush. You know that crazy feeling you would get, back in high school, when you see your crush? You heart starts racing, you palms start sweating, and no matter how rational or serious, or whatever you are, with them your the complete opposite. She maked me feel...differnet, like I'm a better version of myself around her. Rose makes me forget about my homesickness. I feel like she knows parts of me that I haven't even figured out yet. I keep thinking about my last phone call to my grandma. The warning that she told me. Is it true? I think this is why I stopped dating in the first place. So many confusing feelings. I rather stay with my western novels.

While Rose was unconcious, Prince Victor came into the room.

"Oh my, I heard what had happened. I hope she's okay." he said

"Well, the dotor gave her some medicine, so she should be okay." I said

"Oh, well that's good. Hmm, I really wanted to do this in person, but, well, could you give this to Rose for me please. It's just a little present, for doing so well on her first day as an official guardian. I see these things too you know." he said, smiling. He handed me a piece of papar and a box. Then he left the room.

A couple hours later, Rose stirred.

"No. Stop chasing me I dont want soup!" Rose whispered in her sleep.

"Rose." I said.

"No. No soup."

"Rose." I said again.

Her eyes opened, and beautiful brown eyes turned toward mine.

"Hey." she said, her voice a bit croaky.

"How do you feel?" I asked.

"Weird. Kind of groggy."

"Dr. Olendzi gave you something for the pain-you seemed pretty bad when we brought you in." I said

"I don't remeber that...How long have I been out?" She asked

"A few hours."

"Must have been strong. Must still be strong." She moved some of her toes. "I don't hurt at all."

"No." I shook my head, "Because you weren't seriously injured."

"Are you sure?" she asked, " I remember...the way it bent. No. Something must be broken. Or at least sprained." She tried to sit up and have a closer look at her ankle.

"Be careful. Your ankle might be fine, but you're probably still a little out of it."

"God, I got lucky. If I'd hurt it, it would have put me out of practice for a while." she said.

I smiled a bit. "I know. You kept telling me that while I was carrying you. You were very upset."

"You...you carried me here?" she asked. WHY did a part of me become happy that SHE was happy that I carried her here? WHY?

"After we broke apart the bench and freed your foot." I said, she seemed to think about it for a while. Then she frowned.

"I was taken down by a bench." she said

"What?"

"I survived the whole day guarding Lissa, and you guys said I did a good job. Then I get back here and meet my downfall in the form of a bench. Do yuo know how embarrassing it is? And all those guys saw too."

"It wasn't your fault." I said, "No one knew the bench was rotted. It looked fine."

"Still. I should have just stuck to the sidewalk like a normal person. The other novices are going to give me shit when I get back." I tried to hold back another smile.

"Maybe presents will cheer you up."

She smiled a bit, "Presents?"

I handed her Prince Victor's gift. "This is from Prince Victor."

"That's very nice of him." she said after reading the letter and opening the box. "Whoa. Very nice."

And she was right. Inside the box was a beautiful rose necklace, that I'm sure my sisters would have died over.

"This is pretty extreme for a get-well present." she said.

"He actually brought it in honor of you doing so well on your first day as an official guardian. He saw you and Lissa looking at it."

"Wow. I don't think I did that good of a job." she said.

"I do." I said, before I could stop them, and those words were true.

She smiled and put the necklace on a small table. "You did say presents right? Like more than one?" she asked.

I laughed out loud, "This is from me." I handed her the bag. I admit, on the outside, I probably seemed confident and assured, but on the inside. Ha! I was doubting buying her the lip gloss. _What if she thought it was inapropriate? Did I even had the right flavor or shade or whatever? Why did I do this?_

She pulled out the lip gloss, slowly, as if she was puzzled about something and trying to figure it out.

"How'd you manage to buy this? I saw you the whole time at the mall." she asked.

"Guardian secrets."

"What's this for? For my first day?" she asked

"No." I said, then before I could stop them, the next sentence slipped out too, "Because I thought it would make you happy."

Rose looked at me, then did something that I didn't see coming. She leaned forward and hugged me. "Thank you." she said to me. _Thank you_, I said to God.

I rested my hands on the lower part of her back, testing my waters.

"I'm glad your better." I said to her. My mouth was almost in her hair, above her ear. "When I saw you fall..."

"You thought, 'Wow, she's a loser.'"

"That's not waht I thought." I said, pulling back a little, to look her straight in the eye. I was going to continue, but then I stopped. There was this...comfortable slience between us. Usually when I was with someone, they felt uncomfortable with my silence. They never said it, but I could see and sense it. With Rose, however, I felt that I could be quiet, talkative, whatever, and it wouldn't matter. With my fingers, I traced the edge of her cheekbone, moving up the side of her face. She shivered a bit. Then, I took a lock of her finger, twisting it around my hand.

I was so occupied that it took me until then to notice that she was studying me. My face, my eyes, my lips. A knock at the door, took me back to the real world. The real world where this was wrong. Why couldn't my heart understand this?

Dr. Olendski came in. "I thought I heard you talking. How do you feel?" She walked over to Rose's ankle, inspecting it.

"You're lucky. With all the noise you made coming in here I thought your foot had been amputated. Must have been the shock. I'd feel better if you sat out from your normal trainings tomorrow, but otherwise, you're good to go." the Doctor said, leaving the room. I brought Rose's shoes and coat for her.

"You have a guardian angel." I said

"I don't believe in angels. I believe in what I can do for myself." she said.

"Well then, you have an amazing body." I said. _Whoa, that couldn't have come out any more wrong! _Rose shot me a questioning look. "For healing, I mean. I heard about the accident..." I wasn't sure how far I could go with anything pertaining to the car accident.

"Everyone said I shouldn't have survived. Because of where I sat and the way the car hit the tree. Lissa was really the only one in a secure spot. She and I walked away with only a few scratches." She explained.

"And you don't beleve in angels or miracles." I said

"Nope. I-" The suddenly she stopped talking.

"What's wrong?" I asked

"Where's Lissa? Was she here?" she asked. I couldn't decipher the tone of her voice, worried maybe even frantic.

"I don't know where she is. She wouldn't leave your side while I brought you in. She stayed right next to the bed, right up until the doctor came in. You calmed down when she sat next to you." I said.

Rose closed her eyes. Her face looked like a million thoughts were going through her mind and she was figuring out each and every one. She stood like that for a few minutes, motionless, eyes closed.

"Rose." I said, "Rose." I said again. "Rose?" I shook her gently. I got the doctor, wondering if this was some kind of side-effect.

"What's going on?" the doctor asked, standing beside me.

"I don't know. We were just talking, then she blanked out." I said

Rose suddenly opened her eyes. I didn't like the look in her eyes. She seemed worried, like she had this burden holding her down. She looked at me, straight in the eye, and through her eyes I know she had made a decision.

"I know where she is. Lissa. We have to help her."

* * *

**OKAY BIG NEWS: (yeah some of u guys might hate me a after reading this) sry!**

**Okay so school is going to be out like next week, so u would think that I would have alllllll this more time to update right! WRONG! no, i'm goign to be traveling a lot, so I know getting to a computer would be kinda hard...so u guys...sry but my story is taking a short hiatus. I will WILL WILL try to update when I can, but I can't a promise an update as "often" as they come now. So maybe don't look at it as a hiatus, but longer waiting times for the next chapter, cuz I will still be writing, just not as often! **

**Sooooo...do you guys hate me? Yeah hope u don't! Maybe...with some reviews...I'll try to update even MORE! ?**

**The reviews make my day...really, imagine a crappy day and then some good reviews! REALLY REALLY GOOD! :)**

**Thx! **

**-luv yall all! Brittany! 3**


	11. Chapter 11

**Heyy guys yeah this is the edited version of Chapter 11. Thx soo much to Miss Jessy Lee for doing it! Ur awesome and U ROCK!**

**Thx soo much to the following people for reviewing, story-alerting, or favorating my story:**_Midnight Assassain, RosalynB, Breebh14, scooby7755, JBailey, CandiLeigh,_ _Sandra Villa, PrincessRedfern,_ and _DOOLandPSSNS _

**_U guys all rock! Thx! _Yeah this chapter might be the same just edited a bit.**

**Disclaimer: Richelle Mead owns Vampire Academy.**

* * *

**Chapter 11**

I left immediately after Rose told me where Lissa was. She hadn't told me much, just that Lissa was in danger. I filled Alberta in about the situation as we walked.

"What's going on?" Alberta asked. I had knocked rapidly on her door and told her it was an emergency.

"It's Lissa. Rose just said she was in danger and that she's in the church attic," I replied.

"Strigoi?" Alberta asked.

"Umm...no, I don't think so. I think it's more of an...internal accident." I wondered if I made any sense.

"Oh, okay," Alberta said, but I heard her ask for back-up through her radio.

We walked into the church, immediately heading for the attic, aware of everything. I opened the door slowly and that's when I saw her. She was on the floor, a small amount of blood pooling around her left arm. She was pale. Very pale, even for a Moroi. And she was unconscious.

"Oh God," Alberta said softly.

I scooped her up in my arms and hurried toward the nurse's office, refusing to think about what happened, even though I knew. My sister, Sonya, had done the same thing back when she was a teenager. She later explained how she was depressed and that that was her "outlet." Her words, not mine.

There was immediate chaos when I carried Lissa into the clinic. Nurses were everywhere, prying Lissa out of my arms and trying to get her awake enough to get some blood into her. Rose was ushered out, and I wanted to talk to her, to ask her about the situation, but I had to stay with Lissa. She was my charge. By the time I left, it was too late to talk to Rose, and I was dead tired. I left a note at her door telling her to come to practicea bit early.

The next morning, I received a call from Alberta, telling me about Lissa's condition. I decided to tell Rose at practice.

"Hey Comrade, what's up? Are we sparring today? Cause I'll totally kick your ass!" she said.

"No, no we're not training today; I just wanted to talk to you about what's happening to Lissa."

I saw a flicker of pain in her eyes when I said Lissa's name. "What's happening?" she asked.

"Well, she'll be receiving daily visits with a counsellor, and they'll be putting her on anti-depressants." I said

"Oh, well that's good. Glad to know she'll be feeling better and all that. Well, Comrade, if you don't mind I'm just gonna go and catch up on some of that shut-eye I've missed out on since waking up at this un-Godly hour," she said, turning around and walking out.

"Rose, wait," I said, walking behind her. She turned around so abruptly she almost bumped into me. She looked up at me.

"Rose, why didn't you tell me what was going on? Why didn't you tell me that Lissa was cutting herself?" I asked. A flash of guilt appeared on Rose's face.

"Rose? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Listen, Dimitri, I just couldn't okay?"

"Why?" I asked

"Because...because...I don't know why, okay? I thought I could handle it."

"Rose, you...you don't have to handle everything by yourself. You can trust me. I'm here for you and Lissa, okay?"

"Yeah, um, okay. I'll see you later Comrade, okay?" And before I could say anything, she was gone in a flash. I sighed and turned off the lights.

* * *

About a couple days after the whole Lissa situation, I sensed a tension between Lissa and Rose. She asked regularly about how Lissa was doing, though. On the day of the high school dance, Alberta asked me to go around the campus to check-out some guardian stuff. I wasn't going to chaperone, so I decided to spend the night reading a Western novel. I know. Lame. On the way, we ran into Rose and Mason.

_Damn._

Those were the first words that came to mind when I saw Rose. I was aware of Alberta conversing with Mason, but I couldn't pay attention to the words. Rose was wearing _the dress._ The dress she'd bought at the mall. The dress was pretty by its self. However, Rose _in _the dress, was...breathtaking.

Her hair was down, which suddenly made my urge to touch it even stronger. Victor's necklace hung around her neck. Fabric clung to her body in all the right places. Right then and there I wanted her skin against mine. I wanted to touch every inch of her perfect body. Me being her mentor was important right now, but, hell, there wasn't a single rational thought in my head. _What the hell is wrong with me?_

Sadly, Alberta finished up her conversation with Mason and they went on their way. I sighed. Nothing was making sense! I wanted nothing more than to curl up in bed with my Western novel and not be bothered. I felt like an emotional, hormonal teenager.

Later on, I took a shower and returned to my bedroom and read a Western novel.

At least I _was_ doing just that, when someone almost broke my door down with their excessive banging. I was immediately on high alert; I never had visitors at night unless it was an emergency. And, if it was an emergency, I would be contacted on my phone. I sighed and got up from the bed. I was letting my imagination get the best of me. It was probably Alberta or some other guardian. Who else could it be? Rose? Yeah, good joke.

I opened the door... and I swear my eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. It _was_ Rose.

"Rose?" I said.

"Let me in. It's Lissa," she said. See, I knew there was a rational explanation for her showing up, in my room, in _that _dress. I stepped aside for her to come in.

"What's wrong?" I asked. But Rose didn't answer, instead she looked and looked...and looked, at me. In a way that was making me very uncomfortable. Then, she aimed for my chest.

"Rose! What are you doing?" I said. I was surprised. What was she doing?

"What do you think?" She asked, moving toward me again. _What the hell was going on with her?_

"Are you drunk?" I asked

"Don't I wish." she said, then paused. "I thought you wanted to–don't you think I'm pretty?" _Yes, I think you're beautiful._

"Rose, I don't know what's going on, but you need to go back to your room." I moved forward and grabbed both her wrists, intending to escort her back to her room. But...I don't know what happened. It was like, an electric current shot through my arm when I touched her. But instead of letting go, I brought her closer. There was a new voice in my head, too.

_Stay with her. Nothing else matters. Touch her. You want her, right?_

Yes. Oh God, yes, I wanted her. Badly. I moved my hands up her arms, feeling her silky smooth skin, pushing her body against mine. I twined my finger in her hair, tipping her face up to mine. I brushed my lips against hers.

"Do you think I'm pretty?" she asked again.

"I think you're beautiful," I said

"Beautiful?"

"You are so beautiful, it hurts me sometimes," I said. Then I did something that I wanted to do for a long time: I kissed her. Gently at first, but it soon became more desperate; I wanted her, wanted to taste her, to feel, to touch. My hands slid down, down to the edge of her dress, pushing it up her legs, up, up, till it was over her head and on the floor.

"You...you got rid of that dress fast. I thought you liked it," she asked breathlessly.

"I do like it. I love it," I said, equally breathlessly. Some how, I didn't think we were still talking about the dress.

And then I took her to my bed. I didn't care if there was a tornado, hurricane, flood, or storm, she wasn't getting off this bed anytime soon.


End file.
